Asian Pacific markets opened higher on Wednesday, as investors remained focused on the U.S. tech rally and upcoming earnings reports due on Friday.
By 11:43 AEDT (12:43 am GMT) Australia's ASX 200 gained 0.7% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose by 1.2%, while South Korea's Kospi 200 remained closed for a public holiday.
U.S. stocks ended the day higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained 0.3% to 42,080.4, while the S&P 500 rose 1.0% to 5,751.1, and the Nasdaq advanced 1.4% to 18,182.9.
The tech sector led the rally, with Palantir Technologies surging 6.6%, Edwards Lifesciences jumping 6.2%, and Palo Alto Networks climbing 5.1%.
Energy stocks, however, faced significant declines, with Marathon Petroleum down 7.66% and Valero Energy dropping 5.31%, as oil prices slid. Brent crude fell by 4.2%, settling at US$77.56 per barrel.
Gold prices remained unchanged at US$2,621.83.
Chinese shares closed higher on Tuesday, with the Shanghai Composite Index jumping 4.6% to 3,489.8, and the Shenzhen Composite Index surging 8.9% to 2,098.8.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index plunged 9.4% to 20,926.79, reflecting concerns about regional economic challenges.
European markets closed lower. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 dropped 1.4% to 8,190.61, while Germany’s DAX slipped 0.2% to 19,066.47, and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.7% to 7,521.32.
Investors remain cautious amid ongoing global uncertainties, particularly related to rising bond yields and geopolitical risks.
