Asian shares mostly advance after Wall Street cruises to more records

Asian shares are mostly higher after Wall Street rose to records following better-than-expected updates on the economy and a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies. Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged as traders stayed on the sidelines ahead of a parliamentary election on Sunday that could wipe out the ruling coalition's upper house majority. On Thursday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to top its all-time high set a week earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.7% to its own record. Investors were encouraged by news that consumers spent more than economists expected in June. Such resilience has helped keep the U.S. economy out of a recession.