Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday following overnight gains on Wall Street as investors looked ahead to a likely US interest rate hike.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.3 per cent to 3,289.19 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 1.0 per cent to 29,076.26. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.4 per cent to 222,777.65.
India’s Sensex added 0.3 per cent to 33,339.48 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 gained 0.1 per cent to 6,021.80. Seoul’s Kospi gained 0.5 per cent to 2,472.66 and benchmarks in New Zealand.
Taiwan and Thailand also advanced. Singapore and Jakarta declined, reports AP.
US stocks were mixed on Tuesday. The S&P 500 index rose 0.2 per cent to 2,664.11. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.5 per cent to 24,504.80. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.2 per cent to 6,862.32.
The dollar declined to 113.45 yen from Tuesday’s 113.54. The euro strengthened to $1.1749 from $1.1739.
Benchmark US crude rose 43 cents to $57.57 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 85 cents on Tuesday to $57.14.
Brent crude, used to price international oils, advanced 62 cents to $63.96 in London. It plunged $1.35 the previous session.