Investing.com - Asian shares mostly rose on Tuesday as speculation was heightened on whether China would be added to the MSCI emerging markets index on the fourth try.
Markets in greater China traded higher, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index up 0.35% and the Shanghai Composite posting a 0.18% rise.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 surged 1.18%, but Sydney fell with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.08%. A ratings downgrade of Australia's banks, including the big four, by Moody's Investor Services overnight hit sentiment with ANZ down 0.53%, National Australia Bank off 0.43% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia posting a 0.35% decline.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Technology, Healthcare and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher. At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.68% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.83%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 1.42%.