HONG KONG – Asian stock markets fell Thursday, with Japan’s benchmark losing almost 3 percent, amid doubts that U.S. plans costing trillions of dollars will soon restore the health of the world’s largest economy.

Investors seemed more wary than relieved after U.S. lawmakers finally agreed overnight to a $790 billion stimulus bill designed to pull the economy out of recession by creating jobs through spending and tax cuts. President Barack Obama could sign the measure within days.

The news came a day after the Obama administration’s newly revised program to rescue the financial sector with some $2 trillion in funding met with widespread skepticism. Investors criticized the plan for what they said was a lack of specifics.

With economies in the U.S. and elsewhere still showing signs of stress, investors are increasingly pessimistic about the ability of governments to turn around the global economy anytime soon.

“The problem is the U.S. is such a big hole. People are afraid that even more trillions of dollars will not help much,” said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. “What they’ve done doesn’t seem to have worked so far. We are facing another crisis, the banks are still insolvent and the economy isn’t getting better.”

Tokyo’s Nikkei stock average lost 232.46 points, or 2.9 percent, to 7,713.48 as Japan’s market caught up with region-wide losses on Wednesday after being closed for a national holiday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 305.89 points, or 2.3 percent, to 13,233.32.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 1.4 percent, Shanghai’s main index was off 2.5 percent and Taiwan’s benchmark retreated 2.1 percent. However, Australia’s key stock measure gained 1.2 percent.

In the latest government move, South Korea’s central bank Thursday cut its key interest rate to 2 percent from 2.5 percent — a new record low — to boost the country’s fast-fading economy. As with other export-driven Asian economies, South Korea has been hit by declines in global consumer demand. Its exports plunged a record 32.8 percent in January.

In stocks, shares of Aluminum Corp. of China dropped 6.6 percent in Hong Kong after Rio Tinto confirmed Wednesday it’s in talks about a possible transaction with the Chinese firm. Chinese and foreign media have reported the Beijing-based company — also known as Chinalco — was set to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Rio Tinto, possibly worth $19 billion.

Overnight in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 50.65, or 0.6 percent, to 7,939.53 in a choppy a session as investors digested the flood of news coming from Washington.

Broader stock indicators also rose. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 6.58, or 0.80 percent, to 833.74, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 5.77, or 0.4 percent, to 1,530.50.

U.S. futures weakened, suggesting a lower open on Wall Street. Dow futures were down 16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,880 and S&P500 futures fell 3.3, or 0.4 percent, to 828.20.

Oil prices rebounded slightly after a steep fall overnight, with light, sweet crude for March delivery up 8 cents at $36.02 a barrel in Asian trade. The contract shed $1.99 to settle at $35.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday.

In currencies, the dollar weakened to 89.96 yen, down from 90.30 yen, and the euro traded higher at $1.2916 compared to $1.2881.