Asian stocks fell, with a regional index heading for its first drop in eight days, as growth in China’s services industries slowed and employment reports from Europe to the U.S. and New Zealand fueled concern the global economy is faltering.

Nikkei 225 Closed

Hang Seng 21,225.33 -83.75 -0.39%

S&P/ASX 200 4,428.96 -6.95 -0.16%

Shanghai Composite 2,440.08 +1.64 +0.07%

Esprit Holdings Ltd., a clothier that counts Europe as its biggest market, slid 2.4 percent.

LG Display Co., the world’s No. 2 maker of liquid-crystal displays, sank 5.4 percent in Seoul after reports prosecutors investigating if it illegally obtained a rival’s technology searched its headquarters.

China Construction Bank Corp. and Bank of China Ltd. fell more than 3 percent in Hong Kong after Temasek Holdings Pte. sold shares in the Chinese lenders at a discount.