LONDON (CNNfn) - Asian markets closed slightly lower Thursday with technology, telecom and banking stocks among the region's worst performers amid lingering worries about the volatility of U.S equity markets.
In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 average slipped 61.40 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 14,811.08, led by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone and consumer electronics firm Toshiba.
 Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dipped 36 points, or a quarter of a percent, to end the session at 14,422.52. The index recovered from an earlier 2 percent fall after Nokia, the world's biggest mobile-phone maker, reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings.
Still, Internet and telecom company Pacific Century CyberWorks fell for the fourth consecutive session and HSBC Holdings, the territory's biggest bank, led a decline in the banking sector.
And in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index dropped 34 points, or more than 1 percent, to 3,192.7, with media giant News Corp. and telecom operator Telstra leading declines.
"No one believes we have seen the last of the wild moves in U.S. stocks," said Kazuyuki Naito, general manager of equity sales and trading at Sanwa Securities.
In the U.S. Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial average closed below 10,000 for the first time since mid-March, dropping 114 points, or 1.2 percent, to 9,975.02, after earlier tumbling as much as 433 points. The tech-laden Nasdaq composite index slipped 1.3 percent to 3,171.56.
In the currency market, the yen weakened slightly to ¥107.80 against the U.S. dollar, from ¥107.72 in late trading in New York Wednesday.
 On the Tokyo exchange, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone plunged 5.7 percent to ¥990,000, a low for the year, as next month's planned sale of up to 1.3 million shares snuffed out buying interest in the stock. The company's separately quoted mobile-phone unit NTT DoCoMo dropped 3.5 percent.
Some tech stocks such as Toshiba reversed course to end the session in negative territory. Toshiba fell 1.9 percent and Hitachi lost 0.8 percent.
Advantest closed down 4.6 percent. The manufacturer of semiconductor testing devices spent most of the session in the black after Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported the company is expected next week to post group net profit of ¥22 billion ($204 million) for the six months to Sept. 30, above the company's own forecast of ¥20 billion.
Fujitsu, Japan's biggest computer maker, rose 3.8 percent after strong quarterly results by U.S. based Sun Microsystems, a leading maker of computers that serve up Web pages, and software giant Microsoft's better-than-expected profit report.
High-tech bellwether Sony rose 1.7 percent. Sony's president said in an interview published on Thursday that profitability is growing, driven by strong sales of computers and digital audiovisual equipment, after large losses in the April-June quarter.
Fujisawa Pharmaceutical rose 5.1 percent and Toyama Chemical jumped 6.2 percent. The Tokyo Stock Exchange's pharmaceutical sector index was the biggest sector gainer, rising more than 1 percent.
Hong Kong slips
Internet and telecom company Pacific Century CyberWorks fell 1.6 percent. Investors continued to offload the stock on fears about the company's future earnings since PCCW agreed last week to sell control of its mobile phone business to its Australian joint venture partner Telstra.
Other telecom stocks rebounded from earlier losses. Hang Seng index heavyweight China Mobile rose 1.4 percent, and mobile-phone conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa jumped more than 3 percent, while parent Cheung Kong Holdings gained 0.6 percent.
The territory's banking sector came under pressure. HSBC Holdings fell 1.9 percent, Hang Seng Bank lost 2.6 percent, Dao Heng Bank declined 4.3 percent and Bank of East Asia slipped 1.2 percent.
 The Straits Times index in Singapore surged 55.49 points, or more than 3 percent, to 1,884.05. Banking stocks rose, led by DBS Group, up almost 6 percent, and United Overseas Bank, which climbed 5.8 percent. Chartered Semiconductor soared 7.4 percent.
Taiwan's Weighted index slumped 6.5 percent to a 54-month low, undermined by sharp losses in U.S. shares and a loss of investor confidence in the new government's policies, traders said. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and computer maker Acer each fell 7 percent, the maximum daily limit.
News Corp. slugs Sydney index
In Sydney, Rupert Murdoch's media company News Corp. was the major drag on the market, falling 4.6 percent after Murdoch's comments the previous day about a weakening market for U.S. television stations and investor concern about the timetable for the float of Sky Global Networks, the company's satellite television arm.
In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi edged up 0.2 percent, with heavyweight Samsung Electronics up 8 percent, and SK Telecom climbing 4 percent.
The JSX index in Jakarta rose 1.4 percent and Bangkok's SET composite index rose 2.9 percent.
Manila's PHS index fell 0.5 percent and Malaysia's KLSE index slipped 0.3 percent. 
--from staff and wire reports
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