Asian shares rebounded Tuesday, led by Singapore's Straits Times Index on gains in property shares such as Keppel Land while Japan's Nikkei 225 Average ended in positive territory as blue chips recovered from the previous session and as the euro held near a record high against the yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index gained 8.20 points, or 0.99 percent, to finish at 15,734.14 points while the Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 53.67 points, or 0.3 percent, to 19,008.30.
Banking stocks were mostly lower as the results for major banks in the first fiscal half showed slow recovery in their main lending business. Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co. shed 1.20 percent and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. tumbled 2.19 percent.
Among construction stocks, Taisei Corp. lost 2.29 percent.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares slipped 0.2 percent to 724.64 points as continued profit-taking in banks by foreign players and decline in some energy blue chips outweighed buying in medium- and small-capitalization stocks.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares retreated as falls in Telkom and Gas Negara kept the main index in negative territory. The Jakarta Stock Exchange main index dropped 2.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,681.34.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's stock market edged up, led by buying in blue chips as the central bank granted Australia's ANZ Bank permission to enter talks for a minority stake in AMMB Holdings, which owns the country's fifth largest bank. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index inched up 0.3 percent to 1,036.16 points.
MANILA: Philippine shares declined as investors accumulated bargain stocks, like Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 17.90 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,825.41.
MUMBAI: Indian shares moved higher, led by gains in Bharti Airtel and Tata Consultancy Services. The Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark 30-stock Sensex advanced 186.06 points, or 1.4 percent, to 13,616.77.
SEOUL: South Korean shares rose as gains by telecommunications companies outweighed declines in car makers including Hyundai and Kia. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, edged higher 3.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1405.90.
SHANGHAI/SHENZHEN: Chinese shares inched up to post another new five-year high for the country's main index, lifted by gains in the banking sector and a further surge by the country's key refiner. The key Shanghai Composite Index nosed upward 1 percent to 2,037.55 -- its highest closing level since it settled at 2,065.72 on July 27, 2001. The Shenzhen Composite Index gained 0.7 percent to close at 458.78.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares were lifted by gains by property companies, recouping most of Monday's losses. The Straits Times Index rose 31.5 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,802.9.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares shifted upward slightly on a strong performance by the technology sector. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange gained 48.21 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,309.69.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks limped to a higher close, reversing early losses, helped by positive sentiment from a stronger Australian market. The benchmark NZX-50 index rose 11.98 points, or 0.3 percent, to 3,821.19.
SYDNEY: Australian stocks advanced amid a variety of performances across a range of sectors. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index climbed 35.60 points, or 0.67 percent, to 5,358.00, while the All Ordinaries index gained 35.90 points to 5,339.30.
With files from wire services
