Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed with Tokyo off slightly, but Sydney up on hopes for a pickup in construction going forward.
The Nikkei 225 traded down 0.17%, while the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.24%.
In Australia, the AIG construction index fell to 51.9 in September from 53.8 in August. A contraction in commercial construction is disappointing but with new orders at their highest in a year the outlook for the sector appears to be positive and may offset the further decline in engineering construction.
Elsewhere in Australia the HIA new homes sales index for September fell 1.9 points to 51.9
Overnight, U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Basic Materials and Technology sectors led shares higher while losses in the Healthcare, Consumer Services and Utilities sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.08% to hit a new 1-month high, while the S&P 500 index lost 0.36%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.69%.
The releases of September Federal Reserve meeting minutes will set the stage in the U.S. market.