Shares in Asia are mixed after Wall Street broke its longest losing streak since December with a modest rally led by tech stocks. Benchmarks rose in Tokyo and Sydney but fell in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul. Japan reported its core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh foods, rose the most in 41 years in January. But the nominee to head its central bank, economist Kazuo Ueda, told lawmakers he favors keeping Japan's benchmark interest rate near zero to ensure stable growth. On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 0.5% for its first gain in five days.
