Asian stocks fall sharply

Tokyo A possible Russian attack on Ukraine weighs on East Asian markets. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 stock index fell particularly sharply by 2.3 percent to 27,079 points. The stock market in Japan was closed for a public holiday on Friday, preventing investors from responding to the US government’s warning that a Russian attack could begin at any time.

In South Korea, too, the Kospi share index initially fell again by more than two percent. In the further course of trading it was still 1.6 percent lower at 2704 points. It is now almost four percent below the high of the previous week.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index also lost more than one percent again. An exception among the larger markets in the region was Singapore: the Straits Times index there even turned slightly into positive territory after initial losses.