Asian shares move off near year lows, NZ holds rates steady

HONG KONG: Asian stocks edged up from a three-week low on Wednesday, but gains were capped by ongoing fears about the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which also caused New Zealand's central bank to delay a previously expected rate hike.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.73%, snapping five successive sessions of decline, but still traded only a little above year-to-date lows touched in July. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.69%.