Asian equity markets opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as crude oil prices fell amid optimism over renewed US-Iran talks to end the war. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.8%.
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index advanced 3.4%. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei 225 gained 1.1%, while the broader Topix rose 0.95%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4%.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 26,145, compared with the index's last close of 25,872.32.
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The dollar index was little changed at 98.14. The Japanese yen was up 0.1% near 158.94 per dollar.
The US and Iran are seeking a second round of talks in the coming days, as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz deepen the global energy crisis ahead of next week's expiry of a ceasefire, Bloomberg News reported.
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Wall Street
Futures tied to the S&P 500 index, Dow Jones Industrial Average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 were trading 0.1% higher.
Overnight in the cash market, the S&P 500 rose 1.18%, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.96%, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 317.74 points, or 0.66%. The S&P 500 is nearing its all-time high of 7,002.28, reached late January.
Oil Prices
International benchmark Brent crude fell for a second consecutive day to $94.40 a barrel on Wednesday as President Donald Trump told Fox News that he views the war as very close to being over. The West Texas Intermediate was down 0.32% at $90.69 per barrel.
ALSO READ: Brent Crude Stabilises Near $94 As US-Iran Dialogue Gains Momentum Again
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