HONG KONG - Equities mostly rose on Wednesday even as US jobs data did little to boost expectations for another interest rate cut next month, while oil rallied after President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of "sanctioned" Venezuelan tankers.
With Federal Reserve officials indicating they were unlikely to lower borrowing costs for a fourth successive meeting, sentiment on trading floors has been subdued of late, compounded by worries over tech valuations and AI spending.
Focus had been on the delayed release of key non-farm payrolls reports, which showed Tuesday that the unemployment rate had jumped to a four-year high of 4.6 percent in November, reinforcing views that the US labour market was slowing.
However, a forecast-beating 105,000 drop in jobs in October was blamed on the extended government shutdown -- with many expected to return -- while November's rise of 64,000 was more than estimated.
Analysts said the figures did little to move the dial on rate-cut bets, with Bloomberg saying markets had priced in about a 20 percent chance of such a move next month.
"The bleed higher in the unemployment rate plays to the (Fed policy board's) concern about the labour market, which has supported the adjustment over the past three meetings," wrote National Australia Bank senior economist Taylor Nugent.
"But it is unlikely to be enough to push them to further near-term easing," he added. "It would take another jump (in unemployment) next month to shift things much on a January cut."
Wall Street investors largely shrugged at the data, with many concerned that the tech-led rally over the past two years may have gone too far and that the vast sums invested in AI might not see returns as soon as hoped.
Asian markets, having dropped at the start of the week, struggled early on Wednesday, but some managed to dig out gains.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta rose, but Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai and Wellington fell.