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• European equities hovered around the flatline on Wednesday morning as investors kept a close eye on events in Catalonia, where the leader of the region's separatist government has said he will declare independence "in a matter of days."

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.05 percent higher with most sectors moving in positive territory. Auto stocks led the gains in early deals, up by more than1 percent. The sector was pushed higher by positive car sales data out of the U.S. on Tuesday.

• Japanese and Hong Kong shares led Asian stocks higher on Wednesday, supported by optimism about global growth and as the Chinese central bank’s weekend move to free up liquidity boosted mainland financial stocks.

Japan's Nikkei .N225 climbed to a more than two-year peak while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index .HSI rose to a level not seen since May 2015. The Philippines Stock Exchange .PSI added 0.7 percent to a record high.

• Japan’s Nikkei rose to two-year highs, cheered by an upbeat outlook for the global economy though gains were trimmed by the close as the yen bounced against the dollar.

The Nikkei ended Wednesday 0.06 percent up at 20,626.66 after reaching 20,689.05, a high last touched in August 2015. The broader Topix closed effectively flat at 1,684.56 after rising to 1,688.59, also a top last seen in August 2015 .

Reference: Reuters, CNBC