ANKARA

Amid growing fears over the coronavirus omicron variant, stock markets in Asia closed with mixed figures on Tuesday.

Investors remain concerned over the rising cases of the coronavirus in several countries, and its impact on the global economic recovery.

The US Federal Reserve's hawkish stance and the expectation that it may raise interest rates in March also continue to be priced into stock markets.

The Asia Dow, which includes blue-chip companies in the region, fell 13.38 points, or 0.35%, to close at 3,804 points.

The Hang Seng, the benchmark for blue-chip stocks trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, was down 7.48 points, or 0.03%, to 23,739.​​​​​​​

China’s Shanghai stock exchange was also down 26.08 points, or 0.73%, to 3,576 points.​​​​​​​

Meanwhile, according to China's Foreign Ministry, overseas organizations held 4 trillion yuan ($629 billion) of China's interbank bonds at the end of 2021, showing rising confidence in the country's economy, which is projected to have expanded 8% last year.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock exchange plummeted by 256.08 points, or 0.90%, to close at 28,222.

The Indian Sensex benchmark, on the other hand, added 206.97 points, or 0.34%, to 60,602 points, while the Singapore index rose 19.32 points, or 0.60%, to 3,246.