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The focus in the U.S. will remain on the quarterly corporate earnings season, with Coca-Cola, PepsiCo., Starbucks and ExxonMobil among the raft of companies reporting. Weekly jobless claims as well as the Chicago Fed's survey of industry will also garner some interest from traders as they assess the state of the U.S. economic recovery, a day after the Fed said U.S. economic growth would pick up gradually and that it would stick with its plan to keep its key short-term interest rate near zero percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed slightly ahead at 9,561.83 as traders proceeded with caution ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting Friday. South Korea's Kospi also zigzagged until finally setting 0.1 percent higher at 1,964.04. Hong Kong's Hang Seng posted a 0.8 percent gain to 20,809.71. In mainland China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index edged 0.1 percent lower to 2,404.70. Oil markets were fairly tepid, with benchmark oil for June delivery down 9 cents to $104.03 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
[Associated
Press;
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