07:00 AM EDT, 09/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock exchanges largely gained ground Friday, after the Bank of Japan abstained from a rate hike, and following overnight gains in peer stocks in US and European markets.

Hong Kong and Tokyo finished in the green, although Shanghai closed flat. Other regional exchanges were higher, with fresh all-time zeniths set in Mumbai and Sydney.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher on overnight Wall Street cues and held ground, finishing up 1.5% after the Bank of Japan held interest rates steady, forsaking a rate hike.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 568.58 to 37,723.91, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 160 to 53.

Leading the upside was chemical concern Resonac, up 9.4%, while Keisei Electric Railway declined 2.7%.

In economic news, the Bank of Japan held its key short-term policy interest rate at 0.25%, citing moderate economic growth and prospects for tempered inflation.

In other news, Japan's widely quoted core consumer price index (CPI), that excludes fresh foods, rose 2.8% on year in August, inching up from the 2.7% on-year rate posted in July, reported Statistics Japan.

The headline CPI posted up 3% on year in August, while the CPI core-core, that strips out fresh food and energy bills, rose 2% on year in the month.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and finished up 1.4% the outlook for accommodation by major global central banks.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 245.41 to 18,258.57, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 75 to five. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 1.4% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 2.2%.

Leading the upside was Wuxi AppTec, gaining 11.7%, while CK Infrastructure fell 2%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite closed largely unchanged at 2,736.81.

In economic news, Beijing's People's Bank of China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged after the central bank's monthly policy session, with the one-year rate at 3.35%, and the five-year rate, a peg for property mortgages, at 3.85%.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 0.5%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.5%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.2%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.2%, and the Thai Set declined 0.2%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 1.6%.