Tokyo– Asian benchmarks mostly rose Thursday, as investor optimism got a perk from a rally on Wall Street that’s on track to break a three-week losing streak, the Associated Press reported.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 2.3% to finish at 28,065.28. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.8% to 6,848.70. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.3% to 2,382.88. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.8% to 18,897.29, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 3,239.64.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 66 cents to $82.60 a barrel. U.S. crude oil prices slid 5.7% Wednesday. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 58 cents to $88.58 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 143.60 Japanese yen from 143.74 yen. The euro was little changed at $1.00.
Source: Saudi Press Agency