Japanese stocks ended down 0.55 percent on Wednesday. Dealers said investors were wary ahead of earnings results from top bank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, which later announced a massive share sale. The benchmark Nikkei-225 index fell 53.13 points to 9,676.80.

Hong Kong shares closed down slightly on Wednesday. The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 73.82 points to 22,840.33.

And here in Taiwan, share prices closed up 0.43 percent on Wednesday, tracking modest gains on Wall Street. The weighted index rose 33.48 points to 7,766.69.