DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get a recap now of how the Asian markets fared in the overnight sessions.</s>DEBORAH MARCHINI, CNN ANCHOR: And for more on that, we go to Dalton Tanonaka, live in Hong Kong. Hello, Dalton.</s>DALTON TANONAKA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Deborah -- hello, David. Major Asian markets headed lower on the eve of the Lunar New Year, Tokyo finally falling to profit-taking, ending a seven session win streak. The Nikkei closed down a third of a percent on weakness in the tech sector. After considerable market speculation, Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami ruled out a return to zero-interest-rate policy. The yen barely budged after Hayami's comments. And Tokyo investors shrugged off the resignation of Economics Minister Fukushiro Nukaga over a bribery scandal. He's the third minister to leave the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in the 10-month-old administration. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng finished slightly weaker, after a half-day session. Asia's second biggest market will close the rest of the week in celebration of the Lunar New Year. And in the Philippines, stock prices came back down to earth after a record setting 17 1/2 percent run up on Gloria euphoria, the Manila composite sliding 2 2/3 percent on profit taking. And that is the trading day here in Asia, back to you, David and Deborah, in New York.</s>MARCHINI: Gloria euphoria -- that's a good phrase. Thank you very much, Dalton.
Asian Market Update: Stocks Drop on Lunar New Year's Eve