LONDON (CNNfn) - Uncertainty over the outcome of the United States presidential election combined with the Nasdaq index's latest tumble to drag Asian technology stocks lower Thursday, leaving the region's major markets firmly in the red.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei average of 225 stocks slid 339.59 points, or 2.2 percent, to end the session at 15,060.05, with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, the country's dominant phone company, and Japan's No. 1 personal computer maker Fujitsu among the leading decliners.
 "Investors are asking themselves whether the rise in high-tech shares over the past couple of days wasn't a bit too much, too soon," said Masatoshi Sato, equities manager at Mizuho Investors Securities.
Traders also said investors shared their U.S. counterparts' unease at the unresolved presidential vote, delayed by a recount in the state of Florida.
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index dropped 149.33 points, or almost 1 percent to close at 15,504.80, led by index heavyweight China Mobile and computer maker Legend Holdings.
In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 20.7 points, or 0.6 percent, to 3,333.5. Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate News Corp. dropped more than 6 percent after it reported earnings of US$0.14 per American Depositary Receipt for the three months to Sep. 30. That was down 2 cents from a year ago, but in line with the market consensus. Australia's leading airline Qantas hit turbulence, plunging 10.3 percent.
 Singapore's Straits Times index drifted down 0.6 percent to finish at 2,003.93, with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing dropping more than 5.6 percent, and Venture Manufacturing, a contract electronics maker, falling 3.9 percent.
In the U.S. on Wednesday, the Nasdaq composite tumbled 184.09 points, or 5.4 percent, to 3,231.70 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 45.12 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 10,907.06.
In the currency market, the yen was traded at ¥107.26 against the U.S. dollar, little changed from ¥107.22 in late New York trading on Wednesday.
Techs shed recent gains in Tokyo
On the Tokyo exchange, technology stocks succumbed to a new bout of selling on concerns recent gains might have been overdone. Consumer electronics powerhouse and industry bellwether Sony fell 1.8 percent, computer maker Fujitsu dropped 5.1 percent and chipmaker NEC lost 2.1 percent.
The telecom sector was dragged down by the region's biggest phone company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, which fell more than 2.4 percent, while its separately listed mobile-phone unit NTT DoCoMo slid 2.9 percent. Japan Telecom plunged 7.1 percent.
Banking stocks reinforced the market's decline. Tokai Bank slid more than 2 percent, Sanwa Bank dropped 3 percent, and Mizuho Holdings declined 1.5 percent.
Auto stocks were mixed. Honda Motor, Japan's second-biggest car maker, skidded 2.5 percent after the previous day's announcement of a 10 percent drop in half-year profit. Mazda Motor shifted down a gear, falling 3.7 percent.
Nissan Motor climbed 1.9 percent after saying it would build a $900 million assembly plant in the United States - a sign, according to analysts, of Nissan's comeback from financial struggles, uninspiring car models and drooping U.S. market share. Nissan recently announced a huge rise in provisional first-half earnings and doubled its full-year estimates. Nissan is owned 36.8 percent by French automaker Renault.
Banks, telecoms hurt Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, China Mobile, the mainland's biggest mobile-phone operator, fell 3.3 percent. Investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston put a "sell" recommendation on the stock.
Heavyweight blue chips led the market lower, with telecom-to-property conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa slipping 1.4 percent and its parent, real estate developer Cheung Kong (Holdings) down 1.6 percent.
Computer maker Legend Holdings declined 1.4 percent and Hang Seng Bank slid 1.3 percent.
"Tech and telecom stocks are down following overseas markets," said Alan Pau, associate director at South China Securities. "Old-economy stocks will perform better." Some property stocks were higher in mid-afternoon trade, including developer Sun Hung Kai Properties, which jumped 2.9 percent.
Internet and telecom company Pacific Century CyberWorks climbed 0.8 percent. The stock, which had fallen heavily in recent sessions, rallied Wednesday on news that the company was in talks with potential partners about buying a major PCCW shareholding that is now owned by Britain's Cable & Wireless.
Elsewhere in the region, the KOSPI index in Seoul added 0.5 percent, Taipei's Weighted index rose 0.4 percent, and Manila's PHS Composite climbed 0.7 percent.
Bangkok's SET index fell 1.9 percent and KLSE Composite in Kuala Lumpur lost 0.7 percent. 
--from staff and wire reports
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