Asian indexes were mixed Thursday, with financials dropping in Japan after Mizuho Financial Group reported losses related to U.S. subprime markets, while South Korean shares jumped on Samsung Securities a day after the brokerage firm announced strong earnings.

Japan's Nikkei 225 average rose 0.2% to 16,383.47, while the broader Topix index fell 0.4% to 1,557.80.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained 1.9% to 29,897.55 in the early minutes, narrowing the gap with the psychologically important 30,000-point level. The 43-issue Hang Seng China Enterprises index added 1.9% to 19,950.92.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 6,655.60, South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.6% to 1,964.03, New Zealand's NZX 50 index fell 0.5% to 4,270.36, Singapore's Straits Times index rose 1% to 3,684.67, Taiwan's Weighted index advanced 1% to 9,536.85 and China's Shanghai Composite lost 1.2% at 5,7724.04.

Australia China Japan HANG SENG INDEX