Asian stocks today, July 1 -- Asian markets opened on a mixed note on Wednesday, 1 July. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.79%, while the broader Topix index gained 1.07%. South Korea's Kospi advanced 1.52%, although the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.42%.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was largely flat, edging 0.05% lower. Meanwhile, futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index pointed to a stronger open at 22,990, compared with its previous close of 22,881.02.

Asian markets opened higher after a technology-led rally on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 advanced 0.8% and the Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.7%. A nearly 4% surge in semiconductor stocks also helped the sector register a record quarterly gain.

In commodities, Brent crude rose 0.7% to trade near $73.50 a ba...