Stock market today: Nikkei leads Asian gains follow Wall Street rallies
Asian shares have opened higher, led by an over 2% gain in Japan’s Nikkei 225 after U.S. stocks rallied for a second straight day Tuesday, blunting the blow of what’s been a rough April
HONG KONG — Asian shares rose on Wednesday, led by an 2% gain in Japan’s Nikkei 225 after U.S. stocks rallied for a second straight day Tuesday, blunting the blow from what’s been a rough April.
U.S. futures rose while oil prices edged lower.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.1% in morning trading to 38,337.23, with the yen hovering at 34-year lows during the week.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.3% to 7,705.70 following the release of a fifth consecutive quarter of decelerating inflation, with the consumer price index in the first quarter easing to 3.6% from previous 4.1%.
In South Korea, the Kospi added 1.9% to 2,672.87, led by a 3.8% gain in heavyweight Samsung Electronics.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 1.3% to 17,053.06, while the Hang Seng Tech Index gained 2.7%. The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.2% at 3,026.88.
Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan’s Taiex gained 2.3%.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 climbed 1.2% to 5,070.55, pulling further out of the hole created by a six-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7% to 38,503.69, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.6% to 15,696.64.
A weaker-than-expected report on U.S. business activity helped support the market, which remains in an awkward phase. The hope on Wall Street is for the economy to avoid a severe recession, but not to stay so hot that it keeps upward pressure on inflation.
The preliminary report from S&P Global released Tuesday seemed to hit that sweet spot. Treasury yields eased in the bond market, and stocks added to gains immediately after its release.
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