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.
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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