Asia report: Most markets higher as Oz job numbers fall

Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.39% to 17,235.50, with the broader Topix adding 1% to 1,370.80.

Nintendo shares rose 3.34% in Tokyo, after the company hinted on social media that it was going to take at least some of the wraps off its NX gaming console later in the US day.

A number of other shares were also rallying in the country, with apparel giant Fast Retailing up 3.74% and SoftBank rising 1.63%.

Electronics maker Sharp was up 7.69%, after reports that majority owner Hon Hai Precision Industry - better known as Foxconn - was in talks with SoftBank-owned ARM to create a semiconductor chip design facility in Shenzhen.

The yen was trading weaker against the greenback, and was last off 0.29% at JPY 103.72 per $1.

Shares on the mainland were mixed, with the Shanghai Composite flat at 3,084.76, while the Shenzhen Composite finished 0.32% firmer at 2,060.38.

In South Korea, the Kospi was virtually flat, losing 0.02% to 2,040.60, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 0.3% to 23,374.40.

The Democratic and Republican nominees for US president squared off for the final time on live US television during the Asian session, with topics including immigration, the controversial appointment of a Supreme Court justice, and the involvement of Russia-backed hacking in the election.

Oil prices were lower during Asian trading, with Brent crude last off 1.02% at $52.14 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate losing 1.07% to $51.27.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 managed to close slightly higher, adding 0.12% to 5,442.10, underpinned by the energy and materials subindexes, up 1.13% and 0.82% respectively.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released fresh data showing the total number of jobs dropping by 9,800, a huge miss compared to the Reuters-polled estimate for a 15,000 job increase.

Full-time employment was down 53,000 jobs, while part-time employment improved.

Australia’s unemployment rate still fell by 0.1%, however, to 5.6% as the workforce participation rate fell.

“The net effect of all these factors has been a slight increase in the implied probability of a November rate cut,” noted IG chief market strategist Chris Weston.

“Personally, I don't think this employment report will push the Reserve Bank of Australia to think more seriously about further rate cuts, but there's no doubt it's a poor number.”

A number of Australian resource producers were moving off the back of quarterly production numbers, with Rio Tinto closing up 0.43% in Sydney despite lowering its 2016 guidance for iron ore shipments.

Fortescue shares closed down 1.94%, after it increased its iron ore shipments by 5% year-on-year for the first quarter of its 2017 fiscal year.

BHP Billiton was still riding the wave of its production numbers on Wednesday, finishing up 1.69% in Sydney trading.

New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 was almost flat, losing 0.04% to 6,973.78, led lower by online retail marketplace Trade Me, which was off 4.9% to a three-month low.

A number of online retail stocks around the world had come under pressure in recent weeks, as social media behemoth Facebook launched a facility to advertise and sell items to other users.

The down under dollars were both weaker, with the Aussie last off 0.86% to AUD 1.3062 against the greenback, and the Kiwi weakening 0.22% to NZD 1.3858 per $1.