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Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday as investors eyed US political risks and cues about the direction of monetary policy from the Federal Reserve chair.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6 per cent to 20,073.67 and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.2 per cent to 2,392.56. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged 0.8 per cent to 26,089.42.
China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.2 per cent to 3,196.56. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.8 per cent to 5,685.40. Stocks in Southeast Asia were mixed.
US stocks finished with little changes on Tuesday. The S&P 500 index fell 0.1 per cent to 2,425.53. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.55 points to 21,409.07.
The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3 per cent to 6,193.30. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks added 4.58 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 1,413.05.
Benchmark US crude added 75 cents to $45.79 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
On Tuesday, the contract rose 64 cents, or 1.4 per cent, to settle at $45.04 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 73 cents to $48.25 per barrel in London. On Tuesday, it rose 64 cents, or 1.4 per cent, to finish at $47.52 a barrel.
The dollar fell to 113.33 yen from 113.95 yen while the euro strengthened to $1.1478 from $1.1467, according to AP.