Early Asian Update: Taiwan leads advance; Japan's Canon also rises

HONG KONG-- Asian stocks mostly rose Wednesday, with Taiwan leading the gainers on strength in technology shares such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., following strong gains in the technology-oriented U.S. Nasdaq index.
Taiwan's Weighted Price Index gained 0.5%.
Japan's Nikkei 225 Average ended lower, but broader losses in the index were cushioned by gains in consumer electronics makers such as Canon Inc. on expectations of upbeat holiday season sales after U.S. retailers reported strong results.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Average ended 0.3% lower to 16,243.47. The broader Topix index fell 0.3% to 1,592.00.
U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, sending the Dow Industrials to a record close, as investors cheered data showing a greater-than-expected fall in core U.S. producer prices, while a separate report showed consumer retail spending, although easing, held up better than had been expected.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.1%. Singapore's Straits Times Index rose 0.4% while Malaysia's KLSE Composite traded flat fell 0.4%. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3% while New Zealand's NZX-50 Index ended 0.2% lower. Share indexes in Thailand traded flat. Shanghai's Composite Index rose 1.2%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended the morning session up 0.6% to 18,990.22, led by gains in selected China-related stocks and property shares.
The China Enterprises Index, a gauge of China-incorporated shares listed in Hong Kong, rose 1%.
"The U.S. producer price data came as a surprise and the threat of inflation in the U.S. seems to subsiding," said Marco Mak, head of research at Tai Fook Securities in Hong Kong. "The Hong Kong index is still on the uptrend as investors have become more convinced interest rates will fall going forward."