Asian shares reach their highest in more than four months
Optimism that the US and China might be able to resolve their nearly year-long trade dispute lifts equities
Tokyo — Asian stocks edged up to a more than four-month high on Wednesday, lifted by optimism that the US and China might be able to hammer out a deal to resolve their nearly year-long trade dispute. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose as much as 0.5%to hit its highest level since early October. Japan’s Nikkei average climbed 1.3% to mark an eight-week high, while South Korea’s Kopsi gained 0.5%. China's benchmark Shanghai composite and the blue-chip CSI 300 advanced 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.6%. Asia took its cue from Wall Street, where the Dow and Nasdaq each rallied about 1.5% overnight on optimism over US-China trade negotiations and a tentative US congressional spending deal to avert another partial government shutdown. USPresident Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he could see letting the March 1 deadline for reaching a trade agreement with China slide a little if the two sides were close to a complete deal. Off...
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