Asian shares mostly rose on Thursday, following a positive trend on Wall Street driven by an encouraging update on U.S. inflation. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.2% to 38,532.18, with Bank of Japan data showing a 3.8% increase in wholesale prices in December compared to the previous year, potentially leading to pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates at an upcoming monetary policy meeting.
Shares in China displayed mixed results, with the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gaining 0.4% to 19,368.04, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2% to 3,220.52. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 surged 1.3% to 8,322.50, and South Korea's Kospi gained 1.2% to 2,526.28.
