Hong Kong stocks rose further on Thursday, after an U.S. rally overnight boosted investor sentiment.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index fell 67.92 points, or 0.4%, to 19,476.56,
The yen retreated against the greenback on Thursday, with the U.S. dollar buying ¥120.70, compared with ¥120.09 late Wednesday in New York.
The Hang Seng Index zoomed higher 348.81 points, or 1.5%, to 24,469.89
Bolstering the markets were solid gains in U.S. stocks overnight after the Federal Reserve dropped “patient” from its policy statement but cautioned it would raise interest rates at a slower pace.
Among top outperformers in Hong Kong markets, Chinese online major Tencent Holdings Ltd. the second-largest Hang Seng constituent, surged 6.7%, after its fourth-quarter earnings jumped 50%.
In other markets
The Shanghai CSI 300 shed 6.32 points, or 0.2%, to 3,839.74
The Taiex index in Taiwan triumphed 83.30 points, or 0.9%, to 9,736.73
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index regained 24.41 points, or 0.7%, to 3,386.16
The Kospi index in Korea moved up 9.44 points, or 0.5%, to 2,037.89
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 rebounded 12.74 points, or 0.2%, to 5,859.40
The S&P/ASX index was stronger 108.47 points, or 1.9%, to 5,950.81
