On the global front: US markets end lower; Dow down 14 points while Asia trading mixed; Hang Seng down, Nikkei up.

On the global front: US markets end lower; Dow down 14 points while Asia trading mixed; Hang Seng down, Nikkei up. The US markets finished lower on Friday after a late sell-off erased the day's gains. Stocks struggled to hold on to gains for much of the day but worries about a possible downgrade of the US credit rating left the market on rocky ground ahead of the memorial day weekend. Financials lagged the broader market and ended 1.2 percent lower, worse than any other major sector. Banks were the primary drag on the financial sector. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 14.81 points, or 0.18%, to 8,277.32. The S&P 500 Index was down 1.33 points, or 0.15%, to 887. The NASDAQ Composite Index dropped 3.24 points, or 0.19%, to 1,692.01.