Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday after Wall Street capped its best quarter since 1998, shrugging off continued signs of global economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.0% to 22,053.98. South Korea's Kospi inched up 0.1% to 2,110.98. Australia's S&P ASX 200 gained 0.3% to 5,914.80. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.6% to 3,002.02, while trading was closed in Hong Kong for a holiday. Shares were mixed in Southeast Asia, AP reported. Benchmark U.S. crude gained 39 cents to $39.66 a barrel. It slid 43 cents to $39.27 a barrel on Tuesday, still nearly double where it was at the end of the first quarter. Brent crude fell 56 cents to $41.15 a barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 107.61 Japanese yen from 107.93 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1222 from $1.1236.
