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Hong Kong - Asian markets rose on Wednesday and the dollar edged up against the yen after another record finish on Wall Street, but trade was cautious ahead of a Federal Reserve policy decision.
With few trading cues to drive business, investors took a recent batch of weak US data as evidence to suggest the central bank will keep its stimulus programme in place until the new year.
Tokyo ended 1.23% stronger, advancing 176.37 points to 14 502.35, and Sydney added 0.28%, or 15.4 points, to 5 430.9. Seoul closed 0.38% higher, adding 7.82 points to 2 059.58.
Shanghai closed 1.48%, or 31.60 points, higher at 2 160.46 and in the afternoon Hong Kong was up 0.95%.
Tokyo stocks were also boosted by figures showing a healthy rise in factory output in September from August, adding to evidence of a pick-up in the world's number two economy.
The government said factory output rose 1.5% last month thanks to a pick-up in demand for electronics and cars.
The figures come a day after data showed a 3.7% jump in household spending last month, and add to a growing feeling that the big-spending policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are gaining traction.
Internationally, markets expect that the Fed - which will wrap up a two-day meeting on Wednesday - will keep its $85bn a month stimulus in place. But they will pore over its announcement for clues as to when it will start winding down.
The bank had been expected to begin tapering by the end of this year but weak data - including on jobs growth - and this month's two-week government shutdown has made that highly unlikely.
Most traders expect a reduction in bond-buying to begin in early 2014.
With more cash swirling around financial markets for the next few months, investors took advantage of the cheaper borrowing rates.
On Wall Street Tuesday the Dow climbed 0.72% and the S&P 500 rose 0.56%, both to all-time highs, while the Nasdaq added 0.31%.
However, while the bond-buying stimulus programme generally weighs on the dollar, the unit managed to edge up to ¥98.17 on Tuesday in New York.
And in afternoon Tokyo trade, the currency sat at ¥98.21. The euro fetched $1.3739 and ¥134.93, from $1.3744 and ¥134.93 in New York trade.
On oil markets, New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in December, was down 51 cents at $97.69 in afternoon trade. Brent North Sea crude for December shed 23 cents to $108.78.
Gold rose to $1 345.90 at 09:15 compared with $1 346.92 on Tuesday.
In other markets:
-- Taipei climbed 0.52%, or 44.08 points, to 8 465.06.
Hon Hai rose 1.35% to Tw$75.0 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co added 0.46% to Tw$110.0.
-- Wellington rose 0.32%, or 15.49 points, to 4 868.08.
Meridian Energy added 1.9% to NZ$1.10 a day after its debut and Telecom gained 1.1% to close at NZ$2.30.
