Asian shares post strong gains after Wall St rally

Published: October 27, 2017 10:57:19 | Updated: October 30, 2017 10:54:57

File Photo (Reuters)

Shares in Asia posted strong gains early Friday, tracking the upbeat session overnight on Wall Street.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.0 per cent to 21,957.44 as the US dollar strengthened against the yen, boosting exporters’ shares. Investors are watching for US GDP data.

Gains for US technology companies pushed South Korea’s Kospi up 0.5 per cent to 2,493.50 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged 0.9 per cent to 28,445.16, reports AP.

The Shanghai Composite index added 0.2 per cent to 3,414.00 and Australia’s S&P ASX 200 edged up less than 0.1 per cent to 5,918.90. Shares in Taiwan and Southeast Asia also climbed.

The S&P 500 index rose 0.1 per cent to 2,560.40. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.3 per cent to 23,400.86 while the Nasdaq composite lost 0.1 per cent to 6,556.77.

The dollar rose to 114.21 yen from 114.00 yen.

The euro fell to $1.1634 from $1.1654.

Benchmark US crude added 2 cents to $52.66 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 46 cents to $52.64 a barrel on Thursday.

Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 6 cents to $59.10 a barrel.