By YURI KAGEYAMAAP Business WriterTOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher on Wednesday, ahead of a closely watched speech by the Federal Reserve chief that may give clues about future interest rate hikes. Shares fell in Tokyo and Shanghai but were higher in Sydney, Seoul, Hong Kong and other regional markets. The Russell 2000 index of small company stocks rose 0.3% to 1,836.55. Energy stocks rose as U.S. crude oil prices climbed 1.2%. The U.S. government will be releasing several reports about the labor market this week.
Continue reading...