Asian shares flip-flopped on Wednesday with markets cautious ahead of what is expected to be the Federal Reserve's first rate hike in a year, with comments on the outlook key.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index nosed ahead 3.09 points to 19.253.61
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong gained 9.92 points to 22,456.62
The market has apparently factored in a 95.4% chance of a Fed rate hike this afternoon.
A bill to legalize casinos in Japan cleared an important parliamentary panel on Truesday, and is expected to be approved by the full chamber of the upper house on Wednesday. The casino legalization bill had already passed the lower house on Dec. 6.
The Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed that an uptick in the sentiment of Japan's major manufacturers, with the headline index at plus 10 in the fourth-quarter, but expected to fall to plus 8 over the next three months.
Shares of betting and lottery business Tatts rose 8.5% to A$4.49 each, after rising up 12% earlier. Macquarie Group and KKR offered to buy Tatts for A$7.3 billion ($5.5 billion U.S.) in a counterbid after Tabcorp agreed to buy Tatts in a deal valued at A$6.4 billion ($4.9 billion U.S.) in October. Tabcorp stock fell 0.9% to A$4.61.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 dropped 26.09 points, or 0.8%, to 3,378.95
Chinese markets have been under recent pressure due to new stock investment regulations on Chinese insurers and negative sentiment arising from Trump's comments on the "One China" policy.
In other markets
In Korea, the Kospi inched ahead 0.89 points at 2,036.87
The Straits Times Index in Singapore slid 1.17 points to 2,954.06
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index sank 13.62 points, or 0.2%, to 9,368.52
The NZX 50 faltered 52.35 points, or 0.8%, at 6,797.86
Australia's ASX 200 improved 39.57 points, or 0.7%, at 5,584.62
