adminlater in the day.
Tokyo finished 0,54 percent, or 48,17 points, lower at 8 793,05, Seoul dropped 1,24 percent, or 24,28 points, to 1 940,55 and Sydney shed 0,37 percent, or 15,7 points, to 4 272,7.
Hong Kong shed 1,66 percent, or 341,26 points, to end at 20 160,41 and Shanghai, which was closed last week for the Lunar New Year holiday, slipped 1,47 percent, or 34,08 points, to 2 285,04.
Washington on Friday released data showing the economy grew 2,8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, much better than the 1,8 percent in the previous three months but slower than the 3,2 percent forecast.
Adding to downbeat sentiment was another batch of figures showing investment and personal consumption, which is a key driver of the economy, grew at a much slower pace than earlier in the year, despite the holiday shopping season.
The data weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which closed 0,58 percent lower.
In Europe, Greece continued to meet its bondholders in a bid to get them to take a loss on their investments in order for the country to shave 100 billion euros (US$130 billion) off its 350-billion-euro debt.
Talks have been snagged on the amount of interest to be paid on the remainder.
Agreement, which would see private creditors halve the amount they are owed, is a precondition for further bailout funds from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. — AFP.
Online Reporter