Asian Shares Rise Amid AI Hype and Lower Oil Prices

Global shares mostly rose on Wednesday as investors kept an eye on talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely closed due to the war in Iran. The global interest in artificial intelligence supported buying of tech shares.

The chipmaking giant Nvidia's release of its earnings report later in the day could have a big impact on confidence in the sustainability of the boom in AI investments.

Falling crude prices also brightened investor sentiment in oil-importing nations like Japan, which imports virtually all its oil. The future for the S&P 500 was nearly unchanged, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.

In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to 66,262.16 and South Korea's Kospi jumped nearly 1.0% to 6,808.21. The Brent crude oil price dropped 2.8% to $84.81 a barrel.