Most Asian stock declined. Concerns over the violence in Iraq and the resulting possible impact of higher oil prices on global economic growth weighed on the risk-related currencies.

Shares in mainland China and Hong Kong came under pressure due to concerns over the health of China’s economy. China's foreign direct investment dropped 6.7% from a year earlier to US$8.6 billion last month.

Indexes on the close:

Nikkei 225                         14,975.97                   +42.68             +0.29%

Hang Seng                        23,203.59                    -97.08              -0.42%

Shanghai Composite           2,066.70                     -19.28              -0.92%

Konica Minolta Inc. shares rose 6.2% after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its rating.

SoftBank Corp. shares sank 2.5%.