** China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index was slightly up 0.01%, while the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.1%.
** Hang Seng Index advanced 0.27% and Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 0.96%.
** Asia's stock markets steadied, with signs of a slowdown
in U.S. wages bolstering hopes that the Fed could hint at an end
to rate hikes at its meeting later in the day.
** China's factory activity shrank more slowly in January
after Beijing lifted tough COVID curbs late last year.
** The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers'
index (PMI) nudged up to 49.2 in January from 49.0 the previous
month but missed expectations in a Reuters poll of 49.5.
** Nomura chief China economist Ting Lu raised China's 2023
annual GDP growth forecast to 5.3% from 4.8% on Wednesday.
** "The rapid ending of the '(COVID) exit wave' has paved
the way for a consumption rebound," Ting said in a note, but
warned that the market's attention may soon return to some
structural and short-term growth barriers.
** The non-ferrous metal sector jumped 3.2%,
while semiconductor stocks climbed 1% after a 3%
decline on Tuesday as Washington halted licenses for U.S.
companies to export to Huawei.
** In Hong Kong, Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1.7%.
** Electric car giant BYD surged 5.7% to hit the
new high since August, as the firm expects its 2022 net profit
to be more than five times the amount it booked a year earlier.
(Reporting by Summer Zhen; editing by Uttaresh.V)
