But European share markets were set for a slightly higher open following sharp falls early in the week, ahead of a European Central Bank meeting on Thursday that is expected to convey a dovish tone.
The Delta coronavirus variant has for the moment displaced inflation as investors' primary source of concern, with South Korea on Wednesday reporting a daily record of new infections
China stocks rose early on Wednesday, led by technology and resource, but Hong Kong stocks fell as Beijing’s tight regulation continues to weigh on Internet plays.
China’s blue-chip CSI300 index rose 0.7%, to 5,144.11 points at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.6%, to 3,558.11 points.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 0.4%, to 27,159.11 points, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 0.5%, to 9,816.57.
· Japanese shares snap 5-day losing streak as investors eye earnings, Olympics
Japanese shares snapped a five-day losing streak on Wednesday, as investors bought stocks on dips over cautious earnings optimism ahead of a long weekend that will mark the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Nikkei share average closed 0.58% higher at 27,548.00, bouncing back from Tuesday’s six-month low, though it failed to stay above a key chart level from its 200-day moving average, which sat at 27,712.
The broader Topix gained 0.82% to 1,904.41.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
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