Major Asian markets close higher; European indices trade mixed

Major Asian stock market indices ended higher today. South Korea’s Kospi surged nearly 5.8 per cent as investors bought bargain-priced semiconductor shares following the previous session’s sharp sell-off. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained one and a half per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose nearly 1.3 per cent, Singapore’s Strait Times index climbed half a per cent, China’s Shanghai Composite index added almost 0.4 per cent, and Taiwan’s Taiex ended marginally up.Major European indices were trading on a mixed note today. Germany’s DAX gained over 0.4 per cent, while London’s FTSE 100 slipped over 0.3 per cent, and France’s CAC 40 dropped marginally, when reports last came in.