Asian Shares End Lower; Earnings Season Jitters

Asian shares erased early gains and finished Friday's session mostly in the red, with Japanese shipping stocks foundering on concerns about lower freight rates, but several companies made strong trading debuts in China.

Japan's Nikkei 225 ended nearly flat, down 3.78 points, to close at 9287.28, marking its eighth consecutive losing session.

"Stock prices are a leading indicator of Japan's economic conditions, so it is very disappointing that (the benchmark Nikkei 225 Average), which was around 10000 a while ago, is now near 9000," Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said earlier Friday.