Bargain hunters poured money into Chinese shares Friday, sending the Shanghai Composite Index surging 1.4%. In Hong Kong, however, the Hang Seng Index lost 0.5%, and in Japan, the Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.6%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 2% to 24,145 Wednesday -- a two-year high -- after Goldman Sachs predicted the index could reach 29,000 in the next year. That, combined with expectations of a new $500 billion round of U.S. economic stimulus, was good news for Asian markets.
In Asia on Tuesday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.1%, China's Shanghai Composite inched down 0.3%. and in Japan, the Nikkei 225 crept up 0.1%. Investors are closely monitoring the U.S. midterm elections, with many predicting that if the Democrats lose their majorities in both the House and the Senate, the dollar will continue to slide.