Tokyo Nikkei 225 up 2.42%, S&P ASX 200 down 0.01% (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Tokyo , 24 Apr - Asian shares closed sharply higher, rising for a third straight session after gains on Wall Street overnight.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 1.77%.

In Asian stock market dealings tech shares were broadly higher, helping lift the markets in Tokyo, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as they tracked their US peers higher ahed of the release of key earnings from some of the world's biggest companies.

Also helping boost sentiment in the sector, Tesla shares soared yesterday after CEO Elon Musk said the company aims to start the production of affordable new electric vehicle by early 2025.

Investors also awaited the Bank of Japan's latest rate decision is due this week, with the central bank set to meet for the first time after a historic interest rate hike in March.

Japanese shares led the gains in the region, further rebounding from the lowest level in more than two months.

Australia's ASX 200 underperformed its regional peers and closed flat as first-quarter inflation figures showed the consumer price index rose 3.6% year-over-year, slightly above a Reuters poll expectation of a 3.5% increase. The figures however marked a fifth straight quarter of slowing inflation.

The Nikkei index closed up 2.42% at 38,460 points, in Sydney the S&P ASX 200 closed down 0.01% at 7,683 points, while in Seoul the KOSPI closed up 2.02% at 2,675 points.

The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.68% at 3,042 points and the Hong Kong Hang Seng index was up 2.30% at 17,2316 points.

In Mumbai the Sensex index was up 0.40% at 74,034 points.

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(RADIOCOR) 24-04-24 09:03:55 (0204) 5 NNNN