Japan's Nikkei inched higher on Wednesday as export-related shares such as Sony Corp. were helped by a stronger dollar, although gains in the broader index were capped by banking shares. Regional bourses were mixed.
Japan's Nikkei 225 Average ose 55.15 points, or 0.33 percent, to finish at 16,692.93 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 188.98 points, or 1 percent, to 18,718.19.
Auto makers and other exporter stocks benefited from the yen's retreat against the U.S. dollar. Nissan Motor Co. rose 1.39 percent and Sony Corp. added 1.88 percent.
Airliner stocks also advanced following a decline in oil futures prices, traders said. All Nippon Airways Co. posted a 1.40 percent gain.
Sharp Corp. lost 1.45 percent following news that several governments were investigating a possible cartel involving makers of liquid crystal display monitors.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares slipped 0.4 percent to 734.98 points in thin trading.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares inched down as selling in Gas Negara and Bank Mandiri kept the main index in negative territory. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite index retreated 0.78 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,753.80.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's key stock index fell as foreign funds sold their holdings in a wide range of shares considered overbought. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index of 100 blue chips dipped 0.8 percent to 1,079.60 points.
MANILA: Philippine shares declined, dragged down by losses in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. ahead of a central bank rate setting meeting. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 4.96 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,835.86.
SEOUL: South Korean shares advanced, helped by gains in Shinhan Financial Group and LG Card after Shinhan finalized the acquisition price for the credit card company. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, Wednesday rose 6.30 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,383.28.
SHANGHAI/SHENZHEN: Chinese shares edged up on expectation of further appreciation of the Chinese currency against the U.S. dollar, with airlines leading gains. The key Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.2 percent to 2,223.46. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 0.2 percent to 509.87.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares fell slightly as Wall Street's losses Tuesday prompted investors to take profit, with traders expecting a further drop by the end of the week. The Straits Times index dipped 0.33 percent to 2,884.15 points.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares fell slightly on profit-taking in the construction sector. The Weighted Stock Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange dropped 8.26 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,450.3.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand shares shifted higher. The NZSX-50 index edged up 17.86 points, or 0.45 percent, to 3,945.98.
SYDNEY: Australian stocks climbed 0.8 percent with the help of major banks and positive company results. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 14.6 points, or 0.8 percent, to 5,488.2, while the All Ordinaries index gained 15.3 points to close at a record 5,471.4.
With files from wire services
