Higher In Asia; Tech Stocks Lead Bid

Virtually all Asia-Pac equity indices are higher in Asia, tracking a strong, positive lead from Wall St. Tech-related equities across the region lead gains, with many reversing steep losses observed on Tuesday (with that move lower catalysed by source reports of Apple Inc planning to slow expansion plans), catching a bid on tailwinds from the previously-flagged bid in Netflix Inc (+7.9% after hours).

• The Nikkei 225 leads gains amongst regional peers, dealing 2.5% firmer at typing, outpacing the broader Topix index (+2.1%). The Nikkei is on track for a fifth consecutive higher daily close on gains observed in >95% of the index’s constituents, with the IT and materials sectors contributing the most to gains.
• The Hang Seng is 1.8% better off, hitting one-week highs on a rally in China-based tech (HSTECH: +2.4%) after a WSJ source report on Tuesday pointed to a possible $1bn fine on ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing to conclude a year-long regulatory probe, adding to tailwinds from the previously-flagged bid in tech names after Netflix reported earnings.(+0.2%) lagged peers,
• The ASX200 deals 1.8% firmer at typing, with tech and commodity-related names contributing the most to gains. The S&P/ASX All Tech Index has added +3.7%, hitting a seven-week high earlier in the session, while the major miners trade 1.9-5.7% higher apiece on a rally in industrial metals (particularly iron and copper).
• E-minis sit 0.5-0.6% firmer apiece, operating around six-week highs at typing.