Asian stocks fell Friday, with Japan's benchmark tumbling almost 4 percent, as grim news about major companies like Microsoft and Sony underscored the depth of the worst global slowdown in decades. European markets fell in early trade amid news the British economy had officially slid into recession.

Every major market in Asia retreated, giving up most of the gains from the previous session when investors shrugged off gloomy economic data about China and Japan and sent stocks higher.

The growing corporate woes _ which highlighted the beating some of the world's richest and best-managed companies were taking amid the global slump _ weighed on sentiment across Asia.