Asian stock markets rebounded Wednesday after Wall Street stabilized following declines for bank stocks and U.S. inflation eased but stayed high. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney advanced. Oil prices rose more than $1 per barrel, recovering some of the previous day's losses. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index rose Tuesday as bank stocks recovered some of their losses caused by worries customers might pull out deposits following the collapse of two U.S. lenders. Stocks rose despite data showing prices rose 6% over a year ago in February, decelerating from the previous month's 6.4% but above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Also Read: Asian shares mostly sink on jitters after US bank failure “The anchoring of less hawkish expectations provided some catalyst for risk sentiments to recover,” said Yeap Jun Rong of IG in a report. “There were also no new negative headlines of another bank or funds in trouble, which allows investors’ sentiments to settle down.” Investors had worried the Fed might respond to enduring upward pressure on prices by speeding up the pace of interest rate increases to dampen economic activity and inflation. But those jitters were overshadowed by anxiety about the U.S. financial system following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday and Signature Bank on Sunday. President Joe Biden and regulators tried to assure the public risks were contained and deposits in other banks were safe. Tuesday's data showed core inflation, with volatile energy and food prices stripped out to show a clearer trend, was 0.5% in February over the previous month, edging up from January's 0.4% gain. The Fed pays close attention to core inflation in making monetary policy. The Fed faces a dilemma over how to respond when banks already are under strain after the fastest pace of rate hikes in a decade knocked down prices of their assets. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7% to 3,267.15 after Chinese economic activity improved in January and February but less than expected after anti-virus controls ended. Retail sales rose 3.5% over a year earlier, rebounding from December's 1.% contraction. Factory output rose 2.4%, up from 1.3%. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced 0.1% to 27,258.01 after major Japanese companies announced they had agreed with unions to the biggest wage increases in almost two decades. Low wages are seen as a major drag on economic growth in Japan, but fewer than one in five Japanese workers belong to unions. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong jumped 1.3% to 19,490.35 and the Kospi in Seoul surged 1.5% to 2,384.38. India's Sensex opened up 0.2% at 58,297.50. New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets advanced. Traders rushed Monday to place bets that the Fed could keep rates steady at its next meeting, instead of accelerating to a hike of 0.50 percentage points, double last month's margin, according to data from CME Group. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 1.7% to 3,920.56, reversing from a three-day string of declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1% to 32,155.40. The Nasdaq added 2.1% to 11,428.15. First Republic Bank jumped 27% after plunging 67.5% over the prior three days. KeyCorp gained 6.9%, Zions Bancorp. rose 4.5% and Charles Schwab climbed 9.2%. The yield on a two-year Treasury, or the difference between the market price and the payout at maturity, climbed back to 4.21% from 4.02% late Monday, another huge move. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 3.66% from 3.55%. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.08 to $72.41 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract plunged $3.47 on Tuesday to $71.33. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, advanced $1.09 to $78.54 per barrel in London. It lost $3.32 the previous day to $77.45. The dollar declined to 134.09 yen from Tuesday's 134.19 yen. The euro rose to $1.0754 from $1.0741.

Asian stock markets rose Wednesday as traders watched for signs trade might be disrupted by U.S.-Chinese tensions over an American lawmaker’s visit to Taiwan. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul advanced after Beijing announced a ban on imports of some Taiwanese goods but no immediate major penalties following the arrival of Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives. The mainland’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory and rejects foreign official contact with the self-ruled island democracy. “The real show of force by China is still to come,” said Clifford Bennett of ACY Securities in a report. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4% to 3,198.38 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo rose 0.5% to 27,740.97. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 0.2% to 19,726.73. Taiwan’s Taiex shed 0.2% to 14,724.51 after Beijing announced a ban on citrus and some fish from Taiwan to show its displeasure at Pelosi’s visit. The mainland announced military maneuvers in areas surrounding Taiwan but no indication it might punish industries such as Taiwanese producers of processor chips needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world’s smartphones. Read: IMF loan would help economy gain stability in reserves, dollar market: Experts The Kospi in Seoul advanced 0.5% to 2,452.91 while Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.4% to 6,969.90. New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets rose. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.7% on Tuesday after the Labor Department said American employers posted fewer job openings than expected in June following interest rate hikes to cool surging inflation. Investors worry aggressive efforts by the Federal Reserve and other central banks to tame inflation that is running at multi-decade highs might derail global economic growth. The S&P 500 fell to 4,091.19. It is down nearly 1% this week. The The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.2% to 32,396.17, largely because of a tumble for Caterpillar, a maker of earth moving equipment maker. The company fell 5.8% after it reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than expected. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% to 12,348.76. The Labor Department said employers posted 10.7 million jobs in June, down from 11.3 million the previous month but still a relatively high figure. Job openings, which never exceeded 8 million in a month before last year, had topped 11 million every month from December through May before dipping in June. Some weak data on the U.S. economy has added to suggestions the peak in inflation has passed but also indicates the risk of a recession is increasing. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude shed 22 cents to $94.20 per barrel in electronic trading on the Ne York mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 53 cents the previous day to $94.42. Brent crude lost 30 cents to $100.24 per barrel in London. It rose 51 cents the previous session to $100.54 a barrel. The dollar declined to 132.94 yen from Tuesday’s 133 yen. The euro gained to $1.0187 from $1.0174.

Stocks were mixed in Asia and oil prices fell Monday as uncertainty over the war in Ukraine and persistently high inflation kept investors guessing about what lies ahead. Tokyo and Sydney advanced while Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai declined. U.S. futures were higher. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to keep negotiating with Russia, as Russian forced bombarded a military training base near the Polish border, killing nine and wounding dozens of people. Talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire failed again on Saturday, Russia’s widening of its offensive to the western part of Ukraine comes amid warnings over the widening impact from the conflict. Moody’s Investor Service said it was reviewing its credit ratings for both countries in view of rising security, economic and financial risks. Read: Brent crude up $10, shares sink as Ukraine conflict deepens Spreading outbreaks of coronavirus in China have added to uncertainties, with authorities ordering a lockdown in the technology and manufacturing hub of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, that could worsen supply chain disruptions. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 3.8% to 19,779.91 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 1.3% to 3,266.73. Chinese shares have also come under selling pressure due to the threat of de-listings of major Chinese companies on U.S. stock exchanges. A report in the state-run newspaper Economic Daily said Monday that regulators are negotiating to resolve a dispute over auditing rules. The Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to require that U.S.-listed foreign stocks disclose their ownership structures and audit reports. That has come on top of technology-related sanctions against some companies. Wang Sheng, head of the investment banking division at China International Capital Corp, said in an opinion piece that China and the U.S. should be able to strike a deal. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.6% to 25,318.75 and the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.2% to 7,147.80. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.9% to 2,637.07. On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1.3% to 4,204.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.7% to 32,944.19, while the Nasdaq composite index gave up 2.2% to 12,843.81. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies slipped 1.6% to 1,979.67. World markets have been rocked by dramatic reversals as investors struggle to guess how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will affect prices of oil, wheat and other commodities produced in the region. Read: World shares drop after Putin orders troops to east Ukraine That’s raising the risk the U.S. economy may struggle under a toxic combination of persistently high inflation and stagnating growth. The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates at its meeting this week as it and other central banks act to stamp out the highest inflation in generations, while trying to avoid causing a recession by raising rates too high or too quickly. Amid all the uncertainty, U.S. stocks remain about 10% below their peak from earlier this year, while crude oil prices remain more than 40% higher for 2022 so far. U.S. benchmark crude oil lost $3.16 to $106.17 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It surged $3.31 per barrel on Friday to $109.33 per barrel. Brent crude oil, the standard for international pricing, declined $3.05 to $109.59 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 117.83 Japanese yen from 117.35 yen. The euro weakened to $1.0906 from $1.0926.

Asian stock markets rebounded Wednesday after Wall Street slid on anxiety over President Vladimir Putin’s authorization to send Russian soldiers into eastern Ukraine. Shanghai, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia advanced. Oil prices edged higher on concern about possible disruption to Russian supplies. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. Global stock prices sank Tuesday as traders tried to figure out the impact of Russia’s moves and sanctions imposed by Washington, Britain and the 27-nation European Union on its banks, officials and business leaders. “Current U.S. sanctions on Russia are less-than-feared by the market,” said Anderson Alves of ActivTrades in a report. However, Alves noted American officials have more “acute options” including reducing Russia’s access to the SWIFT system for global bank transactions. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index lost 1% on Tuesday to 4,304.76. That puts it 10.3% below its Jan. 3 all-time high and into what traders call a correction, or a decline of at least 10% but less than 20%. On Wednesday, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.4% to 3,469.57 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.6% to 23,657.49. Read: World shares drop after Putin orders troops to east Ukraine The Kospi in Seoul advanced 0.2% to 2,712.69 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 added 0.4% to 7,186.30. New Zealand and Indonesia gained. Singapore and Bangkok declined. Also Tuesday, Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.4% to 33,596.61. The Nasdaq composite lost 1.2% to 13,381.52. U.S. stocks were already off their early Jan. 3 peak due to uncertainty about the impact of the Federal Reserve’s decision to withdraw ultra-low interest rates and other economic stimulus. Markets were rattled after Putin recognized the independence of rebel-held areas in Ukraine and sent in troops in defiance of U.S. and European pressure. Wheat prices rose on concern about supplies from Russia and Ukraine being disrupted. Prices of nickel and aluminum, for which Russia is a major supplier, also rose. European natural gas prices jumped after Germany withdrew a key document needed for certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 43 cents per barrel to $91.94 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.28 on Tuesday to $92.35. Brent crude, the price basis for international oils, advanced 4 cents to $93.89 per barrel in London. It gained $1.45 the previous session to $96.84. The dollar was little-changed at 115.08 yen. The euro declined to $1.1324 from $1.1334.

Asian stock markets rebounded Tuesday from record-setting declines after U.S. futures rose following President Donald Trump's announcement he would ask Congress for a tax cut and other measures to ease the pain of the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

Asian stock markets plunged Monday after global oil prices nosedived on worries a global economy weakened by a virus outbreak might be awash in too much crude.

Shares were mixed Thursday in Asia after Wall Street recovered to record highs, but worries persist about damage to the regional economy from the new virus that began in China.

Asian stocks followed Wall Street higher on Friday amid optimism U.S.-Chinese trade relations are improving.

Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower after President Donald Trump cast doubt over the potential for a trade deal with China this year.

Beijing,  Oct 23 (AP/UNB) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower Wednesday after major companies reported mixed earnings and an EU leader said he would recommend the trade bloc let Britain to delay its departure.