Asia opens mostly higher

Asian stock indices opened the fifth session of the week mixed but mostly higher, with Japan, China, New Zealand, and South Korea higher, while Australia bucked the trend with decline. 

Earlier New Zealand data showed consumer prices rose 0.7% in the third quarter, compared to a 0.7% drop in the second quarter. 

Australia's manufacturing PMI shrank to 54.2 from 55.4 in September, while the services PMI widened to 53.8 from 50.8. 

Earlier Japanese data showed consumer prices unchanged in September, compared to a 0.2% increase in August. 

Core prices excluding food and energy also remained at zero, compared to a 0.1% dip in August. 

US Democrats and Republicans remain in a tug of war over Covid relief before the November presidential elections, while the World Health Organization reported 41.1 million global cases so far of the coronavirus, with the death toll standing at 1.128 million. 

Japan's TOPEX rose 0.31%, while Nikkei 225 climbed 0.47% to 23,584. 

China's CSI 300 rose 0.18%, while Shanghai rose 0.13% to 3,316. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.67%, while South Korea's KOSPI rose 0.47% to 2,366. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.21%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.13% to 6,165.