In October, ANA announced a major restructuring plan, having already announced it would halt recruitment for 2021/22. About 3,000 workers reportedly retire every year.
The move has put a brake on a massive spending spree in Hong Kong by mainland traders looking to take advantage of relatively cheap shares in the city.
National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill said that traders were a long way from worrying about the possible negative aspects of Biden's presidency, such as tax hikes and re-regulation.
Japanese stocks also tracked the US market, which ended lower on Thursday ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's announcement of a stimulus package designed to jump-start the economy.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which jumped 16 percent last year, lost 0.68 percent, or 185.79 points, to 27,258.38, while the broader Topix index was down 0.56 percent, or 10.09 points, to 1,794.59.
In Tokyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rallied 2.60 percent to 2,977.5 yen following a report that the firm plans to build a massive zero-carbon steel plant running on hydrogen in Austria.
The EU has rejected the latest UK offer on the crucial sticking point of fishing but is ready to pursue an agreement even beyond the end of the year cut-off, diplomats said.