Asian shares mostly lower, Nikkei gets boost from weak yen

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower Monday but Japan's benchmark got a boost from a weaker yen.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 1.8 percent to 17,681.50 in early trading and the Shanghai Composite rose 0.3 percent to 3,206.93, but most other markets fell.

Investors are now betting that Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress will boost infrastructure spending, cut taxes and relax regulations that affect energy, finance and other businesses.

Data for Japan's gross domestic product showed the economy had grown faster than expected in the July-September quarter, rising 2.2 percent in annualized terms, on the back of healthy exports.

THE QUOTE: "Global risk assets unexpectedly rebounded on Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election last week, along with a fast sell off in safe-haven assets including gold and the Japanese yen," says Margaret Yang Yan, a market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore.