prices, profit taking South Korean shares trimmed earlier gains to close marginally lower Wednesday as institutional investors locked in recent gains. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a growth of 3.1 million barrels in U.S. crude inventory, far higher than the market forecast of 640,000 barrels. Moreover, oil prices in Asia fell by more than 2 percent during trading hours. The news sent Asian stocks mostly lower. Oil turned into the main negative driver for Asian stocks. The next focus will be on earnings reports from major firms in coming weeks.