Most Asian stock markets closed down today, giving up their initial gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.9 per cent, China’s Shanghai Composite Index decreased 0.7 per cent, South Korea’s Kospi index fell 0.6 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dipped marginally. Conversely, Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.2 per cent. Major European indices were trading mixed today. France’s CAC 40 edged up by almost 0.3 per cent, London’s FTSE 100 added 0.1 per cent, while Germany’s DAX was trading almost flat with a negative bias when reports last came in.