Asia higher despite U.S. fall
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Investors in South Korea are pushing the Kospi higher Friday.
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(CNN) -- Asian markets are mainly higher in early trade Friday, despite falls on Wall Street.
Japan's Nikkei 225 average is 0.24 percent higher at 10,434.07, continuing the previous day's 0.91 percent rise.
The broader Topix index is up 0.62 percent at 1,037.32.
There are smaller gains in Australia and South Korea, while Taiwan is up about 1.3 percent. New Zealand is about 0.4 percent higher.
Singapore is flat.
On Wall Street Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial index eased 0.41 percent to 10,694.07, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.77 percent. (Full story)
U.S. stocks retreated due to disappointing earnings news from Hewlett-Packard as well as flat jobs data for the economy.
Traders say selling interest by institutional investors remains strong at around 10,500-10,600 for the Nikkei ahead of Japan's financial year-end in March.
The Japanese government releases the industrial output report for December later Friday. Preliminary figures showed a monthly fall of 1.0 percent.
Consumer electronics leader Sony is just in the red, but Canon is up 1.6 percent and Toyota Motor is 2.3 percent higher to 3570 yen.
Technology bellwether Softbank is up 2.40 percent to 3840 yen on the back of a strong half-year result.
It reported a narrower lose of 16.4 million yen ($154 million) late Thursday. It said it was nearing its user target of 4 million for its Yahoo! service.
The South Korean Kospi is 0.43 percent ahead to 882.07. Samsung Electronics is flat at 549,000 won, but Shinhan Financial Group is 1.8 percent ahead. Hyundai Motor is down about 0.7 percent.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 is 0.22 percent higher to 3333.3. Telstra is continuing to slip, but there are modest gains for News Corp., resources leader BHP Billiton and National Australia Bank.
BHP is 1 percent higher to $11.93. Australia's other resources bellwether, Rio Tinto, is up 0.96 percent to A$ $36.17. Oil and gas producer Woodside is steady at A$14.83.
NAB is up 0.46 percent to $30.85. However, its key rivals are all going backwards.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia has lost 0.40 percent to $32.10. Westpac has dropped 0.77 percent to $16.87 and ANZ is down 0.22 percent to $17.90.
Finance group AMP has gained 3.61 percent to A$4.57 even though it has taken a A$3.6 billion writedown on its HHG plc demerger. HHG is steady at A$1.05.
Telstra is failing to recover its 1.45 percent loss following release of its half-year results Thursday. It is down another 0.42 percent to $4.73.
Singapore Telecommunications, which runs Telstra's key rival Optus, is also lower, sliding to A$1.67.
The Taiex in Taiwan has moved up sharply to be 1.3 percent ahead at 6520.10.
Singapore's Straits Times is flat at 1862.78.
In New Zealand, the Top 50 index has stopped a week-long negative run, standing 0.40 percent higher at 2439.443 in midday trade. Telecom New Zealand has picked up 0.95 percent to NZ$5.57.
