The U.S. dollar has been strengthening against the yen, which has been good news for Japanese stocks. Photo: dado ruvic/ReutersAsia-Pacific markets shrugged off weekend election results in Germany and New Zealand, as stocks in Australia and Japan rose on local drivers. The country’s NZX 50 Index rose 0.4%, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.8% against the U.S. dollar. The island’s stock market has been strong of late, due in part to optimism about Apple Inc.’s new handset offerings. As many as seven tier-two cities launched fresh measures over the weekend aimed at cooling their housing markets.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 25, 2017 02:37 UTC