Asia down in mixed trade
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Japanese carmakers are down in Friday trade.
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(CNN) -- Asian stocks are mainly lower at midday Friday, but the moves are muted in quiet trade. South Korea is posting the biggest change, down 0.6 percent.
Japan's market opened higher, helped by gains for Sony, Canon and other selected blue chip issues. But by the end of the morning session it is in the red.
Overall, Asian markets lack direction with many overseas investors on holiday and Wall Street closed.
The Nikkei 225 average is off 0.21 percent at 10,343.97 at the break, while the broader Topix index is down 0.07 percent to 1,012.20.
Singapore is also just in the red and Taiwan is down 0.06 percent after putting on almost half a percent early in the day.
Markets in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand are closed Friday.
In Tokyo, shares of copier and camera maker Canon are flat at 4840 yen. Earlier it rose 0.8 percent after it raised its dividend forecast for 2003 by 20 yen to 50 yen per share because it expects to score a record profit this year.
Leading consumer electronics maker Sony is up 0.27 percent to 3650 yen and there are also gains for Fujitsu, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric and NEC.
The market's biggest stock, mobile phone company NTT DoCoMo, is down 0.85 percent to 233,000 yen.
Carmakers Honda, Nissan and Toyota are lower.
The big banks are recovering from early falls to be mainly higher. Mizuho is up 1 percent to 299,000 yen and MTFG is 1.3 percent higher. UFJ is 0.2 percent ahead to 482,000 yen.
Ashikaga Financial Group is down 90 percent to one yen after the regional lender said Thursday it has filed for court protection. Ashikaga's core banking unit was nationalized after it was found to be insolvent last month, .
The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) said it would delist Ashikaga's shares on January 26. The shares will be moved to the TSE's liquidation post from Friday and remain there until January 25.
Among industrials, JFE, Nippon Steel and Kobe Steel are all posting solid gains.
In Seoul, the Kospi is down 0.6 percent to 788.40, with falls of 0.7 percent for Hyundai Motor and 1 percent for SK Telecom.
Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics is slightly ahead at 439,500 won and Shinhan Finance Group is up 0.55 percent to 18,250 won.
In Taiwan, the Taiex is just in the red at 5852.75. There are gains for TSMC and UMC, but Formosa Plastic is down 1.8 percent. Newly listed Formosa Petrochemical is almost 7 percent ahead to T$46.00 on debut.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index is off 0.06 percent to 1724.99. SingTel and Singapore Airlines are both unchanged.
