Tokyo, Japan (AHN) - Shares of Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday, pushing up the regional benchmark index, led by the major non-financial companies. Crude oil futures for May delivery lost its pace and dropped by $1.13 at $53.21a barrel in electronics trading on Globex on Friday. The contract had gained by $ 1.57 to $53.95 a barrel in overnight trading in New York on weak economic reports as gross domestic product of the U.S. in the fourth quarter contracted by 6.3 percent. In currency trading, the yen strengthened as it changed hands at 97.98 yen per U.S. dollar in Asia on Friday, after it closed at 98.85 yen per dollar late Thursday in New York. The Japanese Nikkei 225 average gave up early gains and closed slightly down by 9.36 points or 0.11 percent to 8,626.97 points, while the broader Topix decreased by 0.3 percent at 824.53 points. Elpida Memory Inc. surged by 12 percent in Tokyo trading. Among exporters, shares of Canon Inc., the largest camera maker, gained by 1.9 percent and Sony Corp., the world's No. 2 consumer-electronics maker, advanced by 0.5 percent. In the housing sector, Prime Realty Investment Corp. gained by 11 percent and Sumitomo Realty & Development climbed up by 5.4 percent on Friday. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index gained grounds and finished higher by 10.52 points or 0.07 percent at 14,119.50 points. The main sub-index of mainland companies listed in the territory closed down by 0.1 percent to settle at 8,481.22 points. Esprit, which generated 85 percent of its total HK$19.1 billion ($2.5 billion) first-half sales from the European region, slumped by as much as 9.9 percent in Hong Kong after the European-focused fashion retailer said Thomas Johannes Grote will continue as brand president until June 30 after stepping down from director's position. In India, the Sensex or Sensitive Index was trading higher by 0.1 percent or 35.07 points in late afternoon session at 10,012.08 points in Mumbai. On the mainland China, the Shanghai composite index finished higher by 0.5 percent to 2,374.44 points as the government continue to restore investor confidence. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index finished 0.7 percent higher to settle at 3,672.30 points in Sydney led by the stocks of major resources stocks of the country. In the mining sector, shares of BHP Billiton, the world's biggest miner, moved higher by 0.7 percent and Rio Tinto Group, the third largest miner, moved up by 4.0 percent in Sydney trading. Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi index decreased by 0.5 percent late afternoon trading to settle at 1,237.51 points in Seoul, led by Samsung Electronics, the largest maker of memory chips, adding 2.5 percent on Friday.

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