The New Zealand share market was down 25 points, or nearly 1%, to 3055 on a turnover of $75 million on Tuesday.
Top stocks were all lower. Telecom was down 3 cents at $2.72, Fletcher Building fell 16c to $7.02, while Contact Energy slid 15c to $6.34.
The Australian share market brushed off a weak start to finish on a firmer note, with stronger banking stocks outweighing falls from the miners.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 27.9 points, or 0.65%, at 4332 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 25.2 points, or 0.58%, to 4334.4 points.
Japanese share prices closed up 0.58%, hitting a new 10-month high as investors remained optimistic about the outlook for the global economy, dealers said.
The benchmark Nikkei-225 index gained 61.20 points to 10,585.46, the best finish since October 3. The broader Topix index of all first section shares rose 4.27 points, or 0.44%, to 973.51.
Hong Kong share prices close 0.69% higher on growing optimism that the global economy is showing signs of recovery, dealers said.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed up 144.69 points at 21,074.21.
