Asian Markets Update: Japan Stocks Slip Despite Tech Buying

TOKYO -- Local fund managers scooped up selected technology shares early in the day, but the market slumped anyway.

The Nikkei 225 index shed 12.99, to 15,626.96, marking a fresh 18-month low. The Topix index, which includes all shares listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section, fell 8.68 to 1439.43, the Jasdaq small-cap index shed 0.46 to 74.17, while the Nikkei over-the-counter index lost 5.50 to 1571.96. ...