SINGAPORE: Singapore stocks ended lower on Friday tracking a broader selloff in technology stocks across Asia, while Philippine shares ended higher after heavy losses through the week.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slumped 1.2 percent after the world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd , forecast softer demand for smartphones.
Singapore shares took a hit after shares of tech service provider Venture Corp Ltd plunged over 12 percent to their lowest in eight weeks.
Comments from TSMC and weaker-than-expected results from cigarette giant Philip Morris International Inc weighed on Venture, said Joel Ng, a research analyst at KGI Securities in Singapore.
"Philip Morris is a key client, Venture makes e-cigarettes for Philip Morris," he added
Despite Friday's losses, the index posted a fourth consecutive week of gains.
Indonesian shares edged down 0.3 percent, as consumer staple stocks weighed on the index.
On Thursday, Indonesia's central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged, tying the decision to a need to maintain stability.
Malaysian stocks slipped 0.4 percent, following a record closing high in the previous session.
DiGi.Com Bhd and Genting Bhd weighed on the index, falling 2.6 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese shares ended up 2.3 percent, but closed 3.2 percent lower for the week.
Index heavyweights led the gains, with Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam and Petrovietnam Gas Joint Stock Corp soaring 4.9 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.
Philippine shares edged up on Friday, ending yet another rough week, and posting an eighth weekly loss in nine.
"One of the things we can definitely say is that the market has been very volatile lately. So this (today's gain) is just a manifestation of that volatility," said April Lee-Tan, head of research at COL Financial.
Despite worries over rising inflation, which fuelled heavy foreign selling on Thursday, Philippine Central Bank Governor Nestor Espenilla said the monetary authority is satisfied with its current policy actions.
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