Asian shares rise after US stocks gain for fifth day

A currency trader chats with her colleague at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Asian shares mostly rose on Tuesday, cheered by a rally to all-time highs on Wall Street, though worries over the slow pace of coronavirus vaccinations in the region were weighing on sentiment. - AP

TOKYO, March 16 (AP): Asian shares rose on Tuesday, cheered by a rally to all-time highs on Wall Street.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.5% to finish at 29,921.09. South Korea's Kospi added 0.7% to 3,068.21. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.8% to 6,827.10. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3% to 28,929.99, while the Shanghai Composite recouped earlier losses and rose 0.5% to 3,436.19.