Tokyo - Tokyo stocks snapped its losing streak to close Friday trading higher as investors bought back battered shares.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 207.75 points, or 2.7 per cent, to close at 7,910.79.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 20.41 points, or 2.57 per cent, to 802.69.

The Tokyo market lost more than 2 per cent in morning trading due to stronger yen and Wall Street's overnight plunges, but it erased early losses in the afternoon session with bargain-hunting.

Manila - Philippine share prices plummeted for the second straight session on Friday, closing 4.14 per cent lower on overnight losses in Wall Street.

The 30-share composite index of the Philippine Stock Exchange lost 76.43 points to close at 1,765.90. On Thursday, the index declined
3.45 per cent to finish at 1,842.33.

A total of 820.15 million shares worth 1.16 billion pesos (23.38 million dollars) were traded.

Losers swamped gainers 79 to 11, while 34 issues were unchanged.

Sydney - Australian stocks went on a roller-coaster ride Friday, losing more than 3 per cent on the bell but ending the session almost 2 per cent higher.

The ASX 200 added 63 points, or 1.8 per cent, to 3,416. The choppy trading came as the market realized a 50-per-cent fall from its November 2007 peak.

It's the second-worst bear market since shares fell 59 per cent in 1973-74 and had Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens anxiously trying to take investors out of dumping more stock.

Taip