Emerging-market stocks slid to a 10-month low, led by Chinese and Thai companies, after the World Bank cut its global growth forecast and investors weighed prospects for monetary stimulus. China's stocks fell after a three-day holiday, dragging the benchmark index to a six-month low, as government reports showed industrial production and exports trailed economists' estimates.

Nikkei 225 12,445.38 -843.94 -6.35%

Hang Seng 20,811.94 -542.72 -2.54%

S&P/ASX 200 4,695.8 -28.65 -0.61%

Shanghai Composite 2,148.36 -62.54 -2.83%

PetroChina Co. and China Construction Bank Corp. paced declines on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which was poised to enter a bear market Advanced Info Service Pcl, Thailand's biggest mobile-phone operator, sank 5 percent.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd dropped for a sixth day in Seoul.