Asian Stock Markets Rise

Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

The Shanghai Composite Index declined to 3,623.14 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced 0.2% to 28,562.21. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 0.2% to 23,004.11.

The Kospi in Seoul added 0.3% to 2,984.48, while Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 7,364.80. India’s Sensex rose 0.7% to 56,699.01.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude climbed 12 cents to $71.24 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $2.89 on Tuesday to $71.12. Brent crude, the price basis for international oils, slipped 2 cents to $73.96 per barrel in London. It gained $2.46 the previous session to $73.98.

The dollar rose to 114.16 yen from Tuesday’s 114.12 yen. The euro fell to $1.1267 from $1.1282.