HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian markets extended losses early Wednesday, as financials such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group were hurt by concerns about Lehman Brothers Holdings' ability to raise capital. Energy-related stocks such as BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi Corp. tumbled as crude-oil prices continued to decline. The Nikkei 225 Average lost 1.9% to 12,164.81 and the broader Topix index gave up 1.5% to 1,174.28. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shrank 1.6% to 4,900.30 and South Korea's Kospi lost 1.7% to 1,430.05, while New Zealand's NZX 50 index slipped 0.7% to 3,352.13. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news. ...
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