Asian shares steadied on Thursday ahead of a housing policy briefing in China that has raised expectations of support for the ailing property sector, while the dollar stood near 2-1/2 month highs on the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
Oil prices rose in Asian trade on Thursday, recovering some ground after days of bruising losses as industry data showed that U.S. inventories marked an unexpected draw in the past week.
The Australian dollar charged higher on Thursday after employment numbers beat forecasts for a sixth month, while the dollar held near an 11-week high as it drew additional support from a potential Trump win at the upcoming U.S. election.
Most Asian stocks fell on Wednesday, as technology shares, particularly chipmakers, were battered by a weak outlook from industry bellwether ASML.
Oil prices inched higher in early trade on Wednesday on uncertainty over what may happen next in the Middle East conflict, after demand concerns knocked the market to its lowest since early October in the previous session.
Most Asian currencies moved in a tight range on Wednesday as traders digested a recent round of stimulus from China, while the dollar hovered near two-month highs on bets of smaller interest rate cuts.