Asia markets mostly higher as investors assess earnings; Japan stocks fall

Asia-Pacific markets were mostly higher on Wednesday, taking cues from Wall Street gains. Palantir Technologies surged after reporting a revenue beat, while Spotify Technology also gained after exceeding expectations. DBS Group, Southeast Asia’s largest bank, reported a year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter net profit. South Korea’s Kospi led gains in Asia, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index extended gains, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was close to flat. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was the only benchmark in negative territory. In the US, all three major indexes gained ground.