Currencies at 11-week high

Emerging market currencies touched 11-week highs and stocks gained for a fourth straight session on Wednesday as investors bet on a strong economic recovery while keeping a close eye on Sino-U.S. relations and protests in the United States.

Asian shares rallied after data showed China's services sector returned to growth last month for the first time since January as the economy recovers from the impact of strict coronavirus-induced containment measures. The Shanghai composite index hit a near three-month high before closing flat, while South Korean shares rose almost 3 per cent after the government unveiled a 35.3 trillion won ($29.01 billion) supplementary budget to help the economy ride out the pandemic-induced slump.