Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index heading for its biggest decline in six months, after U.S. employers added fewer jobs than forecast and amid concern Europe’s debt crisis may worsen after Socialist Francois Hollande was elected president of France.
Nikkei 225 9,119.14 -261.11 -2.78%
Hang Seng 20,512.09 -573.91 -2.72%
S&P/ASX 200 4,301.3 -94.74 -2.16%
Shanghai Composite 2,451.95 -0.07 0.00%
Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s No. 1 maker of mobile phones by sales, dropped 2.4 percent in Seoul.
Sony Corp. sank 4 percent, leading losses among Japanese exporters on concern a weaker euro will damp the repatriated value of sales from Europe.
BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company and Australia’s biggest oil producer, lost 3.7 percent as crude oil and copper futures fell.