Fresh worries about the Middle East ceasefire and the prospect of a US interest rate hike hit most stocks and lifted oil prices on Thursday, following a rollercoaster week for markets that has sent shivers through trading floors.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index closed 158 points, or 0.7 percent, down at 24,249 on turnover of HK$288.57 billion.

The tech index dropped 69 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,655 while the China enterprises index was 101 points, or 1.2 percent, lower at 8,217.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index closed down six points, or 0.16 percent, at 3,987 on turnover of 1.19 trillion yuan.

The Shenzhen Component Index fell 102 points, or 0.68 percent, to 14,851 on turnover of 1.37 trillion yuan while the ChiNext declined 43 points, or 1.13 percent, to 3,811 on turnover of 649.929 billion yuan.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei share average ended almost unchanged to be 38 points, or 0.06 percent, higher at 64,217 as investors recovered from early losses of nearly three percent after Washington confirmed that its overnight strikes on Iran had concluded.

The broader Topix slid 17 points, or 0.45 percent, to 3,830.

In Seoul, the swing for the Kospi was even wider, with the benchmark closing up 33 points, or 0.43 percent, at 7,763 after falling up to 4.4 percent at one stage before robust export data and gains by chipmaker SK Hynix overshadowed worries over fresh escalations in the Middle East conflict.

US market attention will now turn to the Federal Reserve's next policy meeting in a week's time, and while new chief Kevin Warsh is unlikely to make a hike his first act, observers said futures markets suggest a move up could come before the end of the year.

"Overall [the inflation report] was not as bad as it could have been and core was a little lighter than expected so the market is seeing this as a positive," Saxo investor strategist Neil Wilson said.

"This could re-anchor expectations a touch for a bit but I still think that the Fed is swinging more quickly behind a hike than it might have done or markets might think.

"Time is growing short and even if it could have been a hotter read, headline CPI above four percent against a really strong labour market clearly deserves attention from the Fed." (AFP/Xinhua)



Edited by Tony Sabine