Asian equity benchmarks are trading up in the early deals on Wednesday following the record closing highs overnight on Wall Street and higher crude oil prices. Investors are optimistic that clarity on US President Donald Trump's economic policies will be forthcoming. Upbeat corporate results and economic data also boosted investor sentiment. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei share average rose getting a lift from record finishes on Wall Street on hopes the new US administration will push up growth through a spending boost. Further, better-than-expected Japanese trade data also lifted investor sentiment. Among the other Asian markets, Shanghai, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are all higher. The Taiwan market is closed for a public holiday.
Nikkei 225 surged 210.30 points or 1.12% to 18,998.29, Hang Seng strengthen 39.76 points or 0.17% to 22,989.62, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI gained 2.81 points or 0.17% to 1,683.50, KOSPI Index added 2.11 points or 0.10% to 2,067.87, Shanghai Composite jumped 7.36 points or 0.23% to 3,149.92, Jakarta Composite spurt 11.44 points or 0.22% to 5,303.53, and Straits Times was up by 1.68 points or 0.06% to 3,043.63.