Investing.com - Shares in Asia were mixed on Wednesday with Sydney gaining slightly despite weaker than expected GDP figures.
The S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.14% after second quarter GDP rose 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, missing the 0.6% increase seen for a 3.3% year-on-year, below the 3.4% rise expected. Earlier, the AIG construction index for August slumped into contraction at 46.6 from 51.6.
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.80% and the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.34%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was 0.01% lower.
Elsewhere, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams repeated Tuesday his call for an increase in the Fed's policy rate sooner rather than later, amid signs of continued solid momentum in the economy in line with the central bank's established policy framework. According to Investing.com's Fed Rate Monitor Tool, investors are pricing in an 21% chance of a rate hike at the Fed's September 20-21 meeting in wake of last week's disappointing U.S. employment data.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Utilities and Telecoms sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.25%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.30%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.50%.