Asian stock indices open mostly higher

Asian stock indices opened the third session of the week mixed but mostly higher, with China, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong higher, while Japan and South Korea lost ground, as investors assess Fed Chair Jerome Powell's Congressional testimony. 

Australia's manufacturing PMI rose to 55.5 from 53.6, while the services PMI rose to 50 from 49, as retail sales fell 4.2% in August.  

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand voted to maintain interest rates at their record lows of 0.25% as expected for the fourth meeting in a row. 

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in a hearing before the US House that the Congress should pump extra stimulus to small firms to help ease the coronavirus impact.

This comes amid the lack of agreement between Republicans and Democrats in Congress on the second Covid-19 relief package

Japan's TOPEX fell 0.24%, while Nikkei 225 fell 0.36% to 23,276. 

China's CSI 300 rose 0.13%, while Shanghai climbed 0.02% to 3,275. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.02%, while South Korea's KOSPI shed 0.15% to 2,329. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.68%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 2.07% to 5,904.