Asian shares were mixed in Wednesday trading, with only some markets cheered by an overseas rally, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.3 percent to finish at 19,037.31, but trading was muted on the last trading day of the year ahead of the New Year's holiday. South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.3 percent to 1,961.31. Shanghai Composite added 0.1 percent to 3,566.87. Other regional shares were also mixed, rising in Indonesia but dropping in Singapore. Technology and health care companies led a broad rally in U.S. stocks on Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 192.71 points, or 1.1 percent, to finish at 17,720.98. The S&P 500 index gained 21.86 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,078.36. The Nasdaq composite added 66.95 points, or 1.3 percent, to 5,107.94. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 67 cents to $37.20 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, losing some of the overnight price recovery. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slipped 39 cents to $37.40 a barrel in London. The dollar rose to 120.40 yen, up from 120.37 yen late Tuesday. The euro slipped to $1.0931 from $1.0977.
