Key facts
- Asian stocks rose 1.5% on Wednesday, led by a 4% gain in Korean shares.
- US S&P 500 futures climbed 0.3% after the index rose 0.3% overnight.
- 86% of S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings beat estimates.
- French stocks fell amid concerns over government plans to curb unrest.
- Brent crude rose 1.1% to $110.03 a barrel.
- Japan's September exports rose 16.7% year-on-year, missing estimates.
Asian stocks climbed on Wednesday, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rising 1.5%, led by a 4% gain in Korean shares. Japan's Nikkei 225 also climbed 1.3%. The gains followed a positive performance on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 rose 0.3% as strong corporate earnings reports bolstered investor confidence. According to LSEG data, 86% of S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings have beaten estimates.
However, French stocks fell amid concerns over the government's plans to curb recent unrest, with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announcing a significant deployment of troops. The yield on the French 10-year OAT rose 2.7 basis points to 4.94%.
Brent crude oil prices were 1.1% higher at $110.03 a barrel. The yen weakened 0.1% against the dollar to 158.33 yen after data showed Japan's September exports rose 16.7% year-on-year, missing estimates. The US 10-year Treasury yield rose 1 basis point to 5.123%.
Traders are awaiting a decision from Indonesia's central bank on its rupiah currency, while Bitcoin and Ether saw modest gains.