Asia Stocks Track US Down After Bleak Housing Data

HONG KONG (AP) -- Asian stock markets dropped Friday as signs the U.S. housing market is still suffering reinforced concerns about a weak recovery in the world's largest economy.

Investors are also increasingly nervous that governments will prematurely unwind emergency measures that have gotten money flowing through financial markets since the crisis erupted last year.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 stock index shed 2.4 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.6 percent and China's Shanghai index dropped 1.1 percent.

Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi shed 0.6 percent, India's Sensex edged lower by 0.1 percent and Indonesia's index lost 1.4 percent. Taiwan and Australia's markets were up 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent respectively.

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 This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.