BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Asian stocks ended mixed in lackluster trade on Wednesday despite a bruising tech sell-off on Wall Street overnight on doubts over the future of tech earnings.
The dollar held near a 13-month high in Asian trade while spot gold fell nearly 1 percent below $4,100 an ounce, reaching its lowest level in almost two weeks due to rising bets on U.S. interest rate hikes.
Oil prices held near four-month lows amid indications that more tankers stranded in the Gulf since the start of the Iran war were beginning to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
China's Shanghai Composite index edged up by 0.11 percent to 4,110.81 after a volatile session.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 0.33 percent higher at 23,412.18, snapping a five-day losing streak on eased concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies.
Japanese markets fell notably as the Bank of Japan signaled further rate hikes in a summary of opinions from last week's board meeting.
Additionally, the yen hovered near 40-year lows versus the dollar, keeping markets on edged over a potential currency intervention.
The Nikkei average fell 0.88 percent to 69,174.97 while the broader Topix index closed down 0.67 percent at 3,963.76.
Among the prominent decliners, T&D Holdings slumped 5.7 percent, Daiichi Life tumbled 4.6 percent and Nippon Express lost 4.5 percent.
In Seoul, the Kospi index rallied 3.26 percent to 8,471.02, after having plummeted nearly 10 percent on Tuesday in its sharpest single day fall since March. Chip giant Samsung Electronics jumped 9.8 percent on hopes for a major share buyback, while rival SK Hynix gained 1 percent.
Australian markets eked out modest gains, with financials and tech stocks pacing the gainers after May inflation data pointed to some cooling price pressures.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 edged up by 0.24 percent to 8,808.40 while the broader All Ordinaries index settled 0.27 percent higher at 9,012.60.
Woodside Energy Group shares fell 1.4 percent after the energy producer announced a US$2.3 million investment to restore 800 acres of forest habitat in a Louisiana state park.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index dipped 0.26 percent to 13,400.66, extending losses for the third consecutive session.
Overnight, U.S. stocks ended mostly lower as a sell-off in high-flying chip and other tech stocks extended into a second day on expectations of Fed rate hikes later this year and concerns over frothy artificial intelligence valuations.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.2 percent, the S&P 500 gave up 1.4 percent and the narrower Dow ended marginally lower.
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