06:33 AM EDT, 04/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets gained ground on Wednesday, as traders noted easing global crude prices and weighed prospects for US-Iran peace negotiations.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo finished in the green, as did most other regional exchanges.

Brent crude traded for $94.68 during trading hours, off 0.8% on the day.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and held ground, finishing up 0.9% as bank and tech issues advanced on earnings results and outlooks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 524.28 points to 59,349.17, marking the fourth straight trading day in the green, although losing issues outnumbered gainers 144 to 79.

Leading the upside was tech goods manufacturer Ibiden, up 10.3%, while software tester Shift declined 6.3%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed up 0.4% on easing oil prices.

The broad-gauge Hang Seng rose 126.41 points to 26,487.48 as gainers outnumbered losers 59 to 30. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.3%.

Leading the upside was Contemporary Amperex Technology, gaining 4.8%, while smartphone components maker Sunny Optical Technology declined 2.4%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 4,085.08.

On the other regional exchanges, the South Korean KOSPI rose 2.7%; the Taiwan TWSE gained 1.8%; the Australian ASX 200 was steady; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.2%, and the Thai Set advanced 0.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 1%

The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index rose 0.7% on the day.