Asian shares mixed as worries percolate over pandemic

Markets were mixed in Asia on Wednesday as investors kept a wary eye on how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the economic outlook. Stocks slipped in Japan and Hong Kong but rose in Seoul and Shanghai and jumped more than 2% in Sydney after the government reported retail sales have fared better than expected. Overnight, Wall Street ended a four-day losing streak, though Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pressed Congress for more aid to support the economy’s recovery, citing worries over the lingering impact of the pandemic. At a House of Representatives committee hearing Tuesday,...