Asia markets track Wall Street gains overnight, China manufacturing data on tap

Asia-Pacific markets followed Wall Street’s gains as investors awaited manufacturing data from China. China’s CSI 300 closed almost 2% higher ahead of its purchasing managers’ index reading, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 both rose. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was expected to open lower. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed at an all-time high, and the S&P 500 also closed at a record. Japan’s jobless rate remained unchanged in January. Franklin Templeton advised investors to move from cash to fixed income, and Citi identified European stocks similar to high-flying US technology stocks. Bitcoin miners experienced some losses but are still on track for significant gains this month. Crude oil futures posted monthly gains.