Asia markets start quarter on back foot

Asian shares got off on the back foot on Wednesday as continued civil unrest in Hong Kong sapped confidence, while the dollar index was in sight of a four-year high after marking its best quarterly gain in six years. Trading in Asia was expected to be more subdued than usual, with China closed for National Day and investors warily monitoring developments in Hong Kong's pro-democracy unrest, as thousands of protesters stepped up pressure on the city's pro-Beijing government. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.4 percent, while Japan's Nikkei stock average (.N225) fell 0.2 percent. Japan's benchmark rose 4.9 percent in September, the biggest monthly rise since last November.

via Business News http://ift.tt/1tf6Eho