Mumbai, Feb. 19 -- Asian shares ended mostly higher on Thursday even as regional trading volumes remained thin amid the Lunar New Year holidays in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Regional sentiment was underpinned by easing AI concerns and a slew of upbeat U.S. economic data released overnight.

The dollar was firm and gold added to sharp overnight gains, rising above $5,000 an ounce after reports suggested that the U.S. military is prepared to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend. Oil extended gains after climbing more than 4 percent on Wednesday.

Japanese markets advanced after data showed machinery orders surged at a record pace in December, driven by large industrial orders. A softer yen and Wall Street's AI-chip optimi...