Asian shares track tech, consumer stocks' rally on Wall St
Shares rose in Asia on Friday after technology and consumer-focused stocks led an overnight rally on Wall Street, marking a dramatic end to the market's most volatile quarter in more than two years. Many regional markets were closed for Good Friday.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 index added 1.1 percent to 21,391.47 and the Kospi in South Korea climbed 0.8 percent to 2,455.35. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1 percent higher to 3,163.95 and shares rose in Taiwan and Thailand.
WALL STREET'S SURGE: Banks and industrial stocks also lifted the market and recent laggards such as Facebook and Boeing rose. Even so, the solid gains couldn't prevent the stock market's first quarterly loss since the third quarter of 2015.