Asian markets gain as oil prices fall

Asian markets gained in early trading Monday, as oil prices fell and the Bank of Japan met to discuss monetary policy.

Japan’s Nikkei
JP:NIK
rose 2.2%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index
HK:HSI
gained 1.6%. The Shanghai Composite
CN:SHCOMP
edged up 0.6% while the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite
CN:399106
advanced about the same. South Korea’s Kospi
KR:180721
rose 1.6%, and benchmark indexes in Taiwan
TW:Y9999
, Singapore
SG:STI
and Indonesia
ID:JAKIDX
gained as well. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200
AU:XJO
advanced 0.7%.