Asian markets mostly up after recent losses

A pedestrian walks past an electronic board displaying the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong on November 7, 2012. AFP FILE PHOTO

HONG KONG — Asian shares mostly rose on Wednesday as bargain hunters moved in after a recent sell-off fuelled by concerns over Greece’s debt woes and the US fiscal cliff.

The euro, which sank to a two-month low against the dollar in Europe on Tuesday, edged up against the greenback and yen.

Tokyo was 0.12 percent higher, Hong Kong added 0.20 percent, Sydney gained 0.16 percent, and Seoul eased 0.10 percent.

Shanghai was flat as dealers looked to the end of the Communist Party’s latest congress, which will anoint the country’s next leaders and provide an indication of future economic policy.

Mumbai was closed for a public holiday.

Regional markets have suffered big losses since last week’s re-election of US President Barack Obama, with dealers fearing a stand-off in Congress in addressing the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts that are due to come in on January 1.

If a deal is not brokered in Washington the package, drawn up during fraught spending cap talks last year, will most likely tip the world’s biggest economy back into recession.

Adding to the selling pressure is uncertainty over Greece after European finance chiefs put off for a week a decision on granting Athens the latest instalment of a multi-billion-euro bailout.

And in Germany a survey showed investor confidence had worsened in November as the region’s crisis began to drag on its biggest economy.

However, there was some good news for Greece with the threat of a default this week receding after it raised 4.0 billion euros ($5.1 billion) in short-term bond auctions, which should help plug a financing gap left by the stalled loan.

In forex trading the euro — which touched a two-month low of $1.2662 in London — bought $1.2710 in early Asian trade from $1.2703 late Tuesday in New York.

The European single unit also rose to 101.02 yen from 100.85 yen, while the dollar firmed to 79.47 yen from 79.38 yen.

On Japan’s Nikkei troubled electronics firm Sharp surged almost eight percent on a news report that it is in final talks with chip giant Intel over a possible $500 million cash injection by the US firm.

Wall Street finished in the red Tuesday. The Dow dropped 0.46 percent, the S&P 500 fell 0.40 percent and the Nasdaq lost 0.70 percent.

Oil prices fell in Asian trade Wednesday, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery sliding 16 cents to $85.22 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for delivery in December down 35 cents at $107.91.

Gold was at $1,727.30 by 0200 GMT compared with $1,726.30 late Tuesday.