Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks fell, with China’s key index approaching levels signaling a bear market, after Maanshan Iron & Steel Co. reported losses and Japanese regulators said new guidelines will hurt insurers’ solvency ratios.
Maanshan Steel, China’s No. 4 listed steelmaker, sank 6.9 percent in Shanghai. Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. dropped 2 percent in Tokyo. Honda Motor Co., Japan’s No. 2 automaker, added 1.7 percent after Nomura Holdings Inc. upgraded Japan’s auto industry. Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia’s biggest airline, advanced 4.6 percent as it signaled improving passenger volumes.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.3 percent to 110.33 as of 2:54 p.m. in Tokyo, erasing an earlier gain of 0.6 percent. The gauge has rallied 56 percent from a more than five-year low on March 9 amid speculation the global economy is recovering.
“The earnings season has been surprising,” said Nader Naeimi, a Sydney-based strategist at AMP Capital Investors, which manages about $95 billion. “It’s given investors confidence the recovery is coming through and that valuations will be supported by strong earnings. Still, markets have rallied a long way and are vulnerable to bad news.”
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