Asian equity benchmarks are trading up in the early deals on Thursday after Wall Street steadied overnight. Investors are awaiting a vote in the US Congress on health care legislation that is seen as a bellwether for the capacity of the administration of President Donald Trump to deliver on campaign promises for tax and regulatory reform. The Nikkei share average edged higher despite a political scandal centering on the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sapped domestic investor sentiment.
Nikkei 225 gained 11.96 points or 0.06% to 19,053.34, Hang Seng strengthen 86.58 points or 0.36% to 24,406.99, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI added 2.84 points or 0.16% to 1,751.14, KOSPI Index increased 4.64 points or 0.21% to 2,172.94, Shanghai Composite rose 9.91 points or 0.31% to 3,255.13, Taiwan Weighted spurt 0.32 points to 9,922.98, Jakarta Composite surged 31.32 points or 0.57% to 5,565.41 and Straits Times was up by 0.26 points or 0.01% to 3,118.45.