Asian equity markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday, supported by positive overnight momentum on Wall Street and rising US stock index futures, after softer-than-expected American inflation data reduced bets on a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate hike. The benchmark KOSPI led regional gains, surging more than 6% to around 7,300, while Japan's Nikkei rose 1.13% to above 68,300 and the broader Topix Index advanced 1% to 4,080. China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.09% to 3,974 after data showed the economy expanded 4.3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, missing market consensus forecasts of 4.5% and decelerating from 5.0% growth in the first quarter. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.50% to 24,660, its highest level since June 2026, and India's Sensex rose 0.70% to 77,557 at the open. Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East capped broader gains, while crude oil climbed toward $80 per barrel and safe-haven gold eased below $4,050 an ounce.