Asian shares ended mostly higher on Thursday even as regional trading volumes remained thin amid the Lunar New Year holidays in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Regional sentiment was underpinned by easing AI concerns and a slew of upbeat U.S. economic news released overnight.
The dollar was firm and gold added to sharp overnight gains, rising above $5,000 an ounce after reports suggested the U.S. military is prepared to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend. Oil extended gains after soaring more than 4 percent on Wednesday.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.