In Asia today, the Nikkei closed up 48.53 points at 17,470.46, while the Hang Seng recently stood at 20,219.55, down 61.58 points.
New York Mercantile Exchange's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, was up 42 cents at $55.84 a barrel from $55.42 in late trading in the US Friday.