Asian shares scale fresh 7-month high as Hong Kong trade resumes

By Ankur Banerjee SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian equities rose to a fresh seven-month high on Thursday, with Hong Kong shares playing catch-up to other markets’ gains as trade resumed after its three-day Lunar New Holiday. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 0.56% to 555.81. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was 1.6% higher. Japan’s Nikkei was, however, 0.25% lower. Trading was thin on Thursday with Australia closed for a holiday and certain parts of Asia, including China, still away for the Lunar New Year. Traders betting that the U.S. Federal will soon tone down its aggressive rate hike…