TOKYO – Asian shares were mostly higher on Tuesday as investors focused on causes for optimism despite a weak close on Wall Street.
Japan's benchmark edged up 0.2% to finish at 29,432.70. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost early gains to fall 0.9% to 6,738.40.
South Korea's Kospi added 1.1% to 3,068.75. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.1% to 28,647.79, while the Shanghai Composite rose 0.5% to 3,451.89. “Asian markets can be seen broadly treading water,” said Jingyi Pan, senior market strategist at IG in Singapore.
She said markets were “awaiting fresh catalysts to assume a definitive direction.” One cause for market optimism was the reopening of the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most vital waterways, after a stuck cargo ship was freed.