Asian Stocks Slip After Wall Street Fall

HONG KONG (AP) -- Asian stocks fell Thursday after a weak economic reading in the U.S. weighed on Wall Street and as a Japanese survey showed manufacturers still think they have too many workers.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 stock average dropped 1.5 percent and South Korea's Kospi fell 1.7 percent.

Markets in Australia and Singapore were lower, but Taiwan's index edged up.

Hong Kong and mainland China markets were closed for the 60th anniversary of Communist rule. Hong Kong reopens Friday but mainland markets are closed until October 9.

On Wednesday in the U.S., the Dow ended down 29.92, or 0.3 percent, at 9,712.28 after falling nearly 134 points.

The S&P 500 index fell 3.53, or 0.3 percent, to 1,057.08. The Nasdaq fell 1.62, or 0.1 percent, to 2,122.42.

For the July-September period, the Dow gained 15 percent, the best quarterly showing in 11 years.

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