Asian Markets—Commodities prices surged on renewed optimism that global demand is picking up. Gold remained near an all-time high, boosting resource shares.
Gold leaped after a report the previous day that major countries are looking for alternatives to the U.S. dollar in oil trade settlements.
Some investors also took heart from Australia's central bank lifting interest rates Tuesday, sending the nation's currency to a 14-month high today, and boosting stocks on economic confidence.
Australian miners and Japanese trading houses were the big winners with Asian share markets broadly higher except for Seoul.
In company news, News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch will reportedly meet senior Samsung and LG Electronics bosses in South Korea. There he’ll discuss selling news and movie content through Samsung's broadband TVs.
South Korea's recently deregulated media sector has opened the door for major newspapers to enter into broadcasting.
Separately, a U.S. trade panel said it would investigate allegations that Toyota infringed patented technology in making its popular hybrid vehicles.
Toyota is already appealing a similar suit filed in Texas, where an order was issued in April requiring the automaker to pay fees based on the number of cars sold.
