Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday, AP reported. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 0.4 percent to 31,234.46 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4 percent to 31,234.46. Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 added 0.4 percent to 6,019.40 while India's Sensex was up 0.4 percent at 35,049.89. The Shanghai Composite Index edged down 3 points to 3,112.33. South Korean markets were closed for a holiday. Benchmarks in New Zealand, Singapore and Indonesia also rose. Benchmark U.S. crude 29 cents to $65.81 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 77 cents on Tuesday to close at $65.52. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 27 cents to $75.65 per barrel in London. The contract was 6 cents higher the previous session to close at $75.38. The dollar gained to 109.86 yen from Tuesday's 109.79 yen. The euro advanced to $1.1722 from $1.1715.
