Amman - Arab stock markets reacted positively but cautiously to the election of Barack Obama as next US president with investors trying to evaluate the choices open to the new administration to deal with the gruelling economic downturn, financial analysts said Friday.

"Markets sighed relief over the election of Obama, because markets have been under the impression that McCain's win could aggravate the global financial crisis," Nizar Taher, chief of brokerage at the Jordan Ahli Bank, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Indian equities are trading higher on the back of continued buying interest witnessed in a host of blue chip stocks.

The Sensex bounced back to 10,025.80 now, after registering a handsome gain of 291.58 points, while the broad-based Nifty has posted a gain of 100.85 points at 2993.50.

A sharp rise in infrastructure sector output has actuated some buying in today’s session. The improvement on the Asian stock markets and a positive mood in US index futures have also added to the rise in stock prices this afternoon.

Tokyo - Asia-Pacific stocks ended the week mixed as Wall Street's overnight plunge prompted investors to sell but interest-rate cuts in some markets led to afternoon recoveries.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 3.55 per cent on Toyota Motor Corp's sharp cut in its earnings forecast for this fiscal year, but South Korean and Hong stocks took big jumps on the rate cuts.

The Nikkei was the region's big loser as it shed 316.14 points to close at 8,583 but still managed to end the week up 0.07 per cent.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares regained some lost ground Friday as an unexpected cut in local interest rates saw them end the week with a climb of more than 3 per cent.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index gained 453.39 points or 3.29 per cent to end the week on 14,243.43 points, despite falling more than 5 per cent in morning trading. Turnover was 48.8 billion Hong Kong dollars (6.29 billion US dollars).

Seoul - Shares finished almost 4 per cent higher Friday on the Seoul stock exchange as South Korea's central bank cut interest rates. The local currency edged up against the dollar.

The benchmark Kospi index rose 42.27 points, or 3.9 per cent, to close at 1,134.49.

Advancing issues outnumbered losers 685 to 171.

The main index of the technology-heavy Kosdaq market surged 13.58 points to 325.54.

Earlier in the day, the Bank of Korea lowered the key interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 4.0 per cent in a bid to calm markets and boost the economy.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market extended its recent losses Friday after Toyota Motor Corp announced a sharp cut in it earnings forecast for the current fiscal year.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 316.14 points, or 3.55 per cent, to close at 8,583.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 30.3 points, or 3.33 per cent, to 879.

For the week, Nikkei was up 0.07 per cent, and Topix also rose 1.35 per cent.