Asian shares are mostly higher in muted trading after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted not to cut interest rates for the first time since it began trying to help the economy through lower rates in Septe

Many of the region’s biggest equity markets — including those in Hong Kong, mainland China and South Korea — are closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Asian stocks advanced Wednesday in thin Lunar New Year trading following a rebound on Wall Street driven by tech stocks as the panic over Chinese AI company DeepSeek faded. Investors were focusing on the Federal Reserve’s rate decision due later in the day.

Live market coverage co-anchored from Hong Kong and New York. Overnight on Wall Street is daytime in Asia. Markets never sleep, and neither does Bloomberg.

Global shares mostly rose Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted not to cut interest rates for the first time since it began trying to help the economy through easier rates

Shares in Japan opened slightly lower, weighing down a gauge of Asian equities despite a small gain for shares in Australia. Many of the region’s equity markets including China, South Korea and Taiwan remained closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Technology stocks led gains in Asia-Pacific markets on Wednesday, tracking advances on Wall Street as investor angst ebbed over the emergence of a low-cost Chinese AI model that some see rivalling U.S.

Asia-Pacific markets advance on Wednesday, mirroring global sentiment as investors braced for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy decision, with the central bank widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged.