ASIAN MARKETS, STOCKS, SHARES, NIKKEI, KOSPI, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE, HANG SENG, STRAITS TIMES INDEX, SYDNEY, SEOUL Asian markets open the Friday session mixed, with energy shares benefiting from soaring oil prices, although persistent concerns over the health of the U.S. financial sector could cap gains. On Wall Street Thursday stronger energy shares pushed the main U.S. indices higher, although financial stocks wavered as analysts predicted further mortgage writedowns for the big banks, and a potential government bailout for mortgage firms Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae . Crude oil gained almost five percent to $120.99 a barrel, on growing tensions between Russia and the West. Commodity prices rose as the U.S. dollar fell, with credit jitters encouraging investors into the yen and Swiss franc. Japan's Nikkei 225 Average declined,...
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