Firstcoast411 Search
Sponsored by:
ABC Video Player - Watch ABC Shows Online ABC News Video Player WJXX ABC 25 Programming Schedule Watch NBC Shows Online WTLV NBC 12 Programming Schedule

Most Asian Stock Markets Slip

 Phil Amato     Created: 9/24/2009 6:53:08 AM    Updated: 9/24/2009 6:55:00 AM
Advertisement

SEOUL, South Korea -- Most Asian stock markets fell Thursday on worries that support measures for the fragile global economy will be withdrawn too quickly.

A big drop in oil prices didn't help matters.

The declines came after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at a regular meeting in Washington Wednesday, as widely expected. The Fed says the pace of economic activity has "picked up" since its last meeting in August.

But the Fed also said it would again slow some of its purchases of mortgage-backed securities, which have been part of the extraordinary support the central bank has given the U.S. economy over the past year.

Japan's stock exchange, closed for the first three days of this week due to a string of national holidays, was Asia's biggest bright spot, gaining nearly 1 percent.

©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.



In your voice

Read reactions to this story