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

Mumbai, Nov 20 : The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)''s Sensitive Index (Sensex) tumbled more than five per cent on Thursday, led by losses in top-listed Reliance Industries and financial stocks, joining the rest of Asia in a broad sell-off after U. S. markets plunged.

By noon, the 30-share BSE index was down five per cent at 8,335.02, after falling as low as 8,316.39.

This was its lowest since October 27, when it touched a three-year low of 7,697.39.

The 50-share National Stock Exchange (NSE) index was down 4.33 per cent at 2,520.90.

Tokyo - Asian stock markets took heavy losses Thursday, reflecting widespread gloom about US economic troubles and another bad day on Wall Street.

Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average plummeted nearly 7 per cent, ending the day below the 8,000 level.

Traders said the sell-off was the result of mounting concern over the US economy, particularly the Big Three automakers' financial fate.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled 570.18 points, or 6.89 per cent, to close at 7,703.04.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also fell 45.15 points, or 5.46 per cent, to 782.28.