Hong Kong stocks led Asian markets higher on Monday, with Chinese banks and coal miners gaining on the back of strong earnings.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 1.7% to 21,094.21.
While Japanese and mainland Chinese markets were closed for a public holiday Monday.
Eyes will be on several events through the week, including Chinese manufacturing data, US jobs figures, a policy decision by the European Central Bank and the presidential election run-off in France.
Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said that investors shrugged off the weaker-than-expected U.S. economic growth, as well as a second downgrade this year by S&P of Spain's debt, amid hopes that the Fed will launch a new round of bond buying to keep interest rates low.
Confidence among South Korean manufacturers rose amid signs of an improving economy, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Bank of Korea. An index that measures expectations among manufacturers rose to 90 for May from 85 in April, the central bank said.
Samsung Electronics, which on Friday announced record earnings for the first quarter, rose 2.2 percent. Hyundai Motor Co. added 2.3 percent.
Elsewhere:
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.8% to 4,396.60
South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.3% to 1,981.99
Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.3% to 7,501.72
Manila closed 0.65 percent, or 33.65 points, higher at 5,202.70
Wellington added 0.69 percent, or 24.22 points, to 3,555.87
Kuala Lumpur gained 0.18 percent, or 2.81 points, to 1,570.61
Bangkok added 1.38 percent, or 16.71 points, to 1,228.49
