Asian stocks mostly higher after tech rally

Asia-Pacific stocks were mixed after Wall Street saw a tech rally led by Nvidia and U.S. negotiators neared a debt ceiling deal just a week before the government faces a potential default. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.92 percent to break the 31,000 mark, leading gains in the region, while the Topix also added 0.15 percent. Tokyo’s core inflation, which excludes the cost of fresh food and fuel, rose 3.9 percent, its fastest since 1982. The consumer price index for Japan’s capital, a nationwide indicator, rose 0.50 percent slower. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.17 percent, while the Kosdaq was marginally higher. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged higher after reversing earlier losses. Mainland Chinese markets bucked the trend and fell, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 0.32 percent and the Shenzhen Component Index down 0.51 percent.