HONG KONG, July 31: Asian shares closed mostly up on Thursday after a Wall Street rally and despite a sharp rise in oil prices, with investors digesting a flurry of corporate earnings statements.

South Korea led the gainers among the region’s bigger bourses, rising more than one percent. Japan was little changed, while Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore also ended higher, but China fell more then two percent.

Investors in Japan took to the sidelines ahead of a volley of quarterly earnings results from companies including All Nippon Airways, Sharp, Hitachi, Suzuki Motor and Mizuho Financial.

Asia was also braced for US economic growth data due later in the day and jobs data at the end of the week.

TOKYO: Japanese share prices closed little changed, dealers said.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index gained 9.02 points or 0.07 per cent to close at 13,376.81. The broader Topix index of all first-section shares climbed 0.63 points or 0.05 per cent to end at 1,303.62.

The Japanese market has its own issues, Tsuyoshi Segawa, equity strategist at Shinko Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong share prices closed up 0.2 per cent, dealers said.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 40.5 points to 22,731.1. Turnover was 56.47 billion Hong Kong dollars (7.24 billion US).

Oil producer CNOOC, up 3.7 per cent, led gainers on the back of a rebound in crude prices.

SYDNEY: Australian share prices closed up 0.82 per cent, dealers said.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index finished up 40.7 points at 4,977.4, while the broader All Ordinaries rose 43.9 points or 0.88 per cent to 5,052.6.

SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices could not hold on to their gains and closed almost unchanged, up 0.14 per cent, dealers said.

The blue-chip Straits Times Index closed 4.15 points higher at 2,929.65 on volume of 1.02 billion shares worth 1.77 billion Singapore dollars (1.29 billion US).

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices closed 0.3 per cent higher, dealers said.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index added 3.15 points to close at 1,163.09.

JAKARTA: Indonesian shares closed 1.1 per cent higher, dealers said.

The Jakarta Composite Index rose 25.28 points to 2,304.50.

Selling in heavyweight Telkom, which reported lower first half earnings, has pulled down the main index from its high, a trader told Dow Jones Newswires.

WELLINGTON: New Zealand share prices ended 1.45 per cent higher, dealers said.

The benchmark NZX-50 index gained 48.51 points to 3,336.27.

Market leader Telecom rose 13 cents to $3.81 and when there is overseas buying into our market one of the first ports of call will be Telecom, said Stephen Wright of ASB Securities.

MUMBAI: Indian shares closed 0.48 per cent higher, dealers said. The benchmark 30-share Sensex index rose 68.54 points to 14,355.75.

The markets were distinctly nervous ahead of the inflation data,” said a dealer at brokerage Jamnadas Morarjee.—AFP