Asian shares are mostly lower after U.S. stocks edged toward recent record levels. The U.S. dollar gained against the Japanese yen as officials downplayed the likelihood of an interest rate hike soon. On Wednesday, Wall Street benchmarks ended little changed amid uncertainty over conflict in the Middle East. The S&P 500 gained less than 1 point, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite added 0.1%. Oil prices rose again as the world waits to see how Israel will respond to Tuesday’s missile attack from Iran. They extended gains early Thursday. Treasury yields rose following an encouraging update on hiring by private U.S. employers.
