Most Asian markets advanced Friday, with Japanese exporters helped by the yen's recent weakness, while Hutchison Telecommunications' shares surged in Hong Kong on an offer to take the company private.
The Nikkei 225 index regained 116.66 points, or 1.1%, to 10,798.32.
The Japanese market will be closed Monday for a national holiday.
In Tokyo, exporters climbed as the yen weakened during the session, before rebounding in late Asian trading. Toyota Motor added 2.9%, Honda Motor rose 3.1%, while Sony rose 2.4% and Panasonic gained 1.9%.
Shares of chip makers were higher around the region after a Nikkei report saying their earnings are recovering rapidly thanks to growing global demand for high-tech products. Japan's Elpida Memory gained 4.2%, with the report saying the chip maker is expected to enjoy its first operating profit in three years this fiscal year.
Toshiba added 3.5%, as the report said the company's chip business, which recorded a loss of about 280 billion yen ($3 billion U.S.) last fiscal year, may break even this year.
Japan Airlines sank 11.8% on lingering fears it may have to file for bankruptcy protection.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index picked up 27.30 points, or 0.1%, to 22,296.75.
In Hong Kong, shares of Hutchison Telecommunications surged 28.5% to 2.12 Hong Kong dollars (27 U.S. cents) after parent Hutchison Whampoa offered to take the company private for HK$2.20 a share, marking a 33.3% premium to the stock's pre-suspension price, which valued the deal at about $545 million U.S.
Banking stocks were leading the Australian market higher: Australia & New Zealand Banking Group rose 0.6%, Westpac Banking added 0.4% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia advanced 1.3%, while among miners, BHP Billiton fell 0.3%.
In Seoul, exporters underperformed again from concerns that a strengthening won would dent their earnings. LG Electronics lost 3.5% and Hyundai Motor ended flat.
The dollar was at 93.18 yen in late Asia trading, after rising as high as 93.63 yen during the session, compared with 93.28 yen in late New York trade Thursday. The euro also slipped to 133.38 yen after rising as high as 133.78 earlier in Asia, from 133.57 yen.
Against the greenback, the euro was little changed at $1.4320 U.S.
CHINA
Chinese shares advanced on bargain buying in beaten-down property developers, after trading lower for much of the session.
The Shanghai 300 Composite Index added 8.67 points, or 0.3%, to 3,480.13.
Shares of Poly Real Estate Group climbed 1.3% and Beijing Huaye Real Estate rose 3.2% in Shanghai, while Agile Property Holdings added 1.4% in Hong Kong.
Metals stocks were leading declines after a pullback in metals prices Thursday. Jiangxi Copper fell 2.6% and Aluminum Corp. of China dropped 1% in Shanghai. In Hong Kong, the stocks fell 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.
Elsewhere;
Korea’s Kospi Index was 11.81 points, or 0.7%, in the green to 1,695.26
Taiwan’s Taiex index surged 43.48 points, or 0.5%, to 8,280.90
Singapore’s Straits Times index put on 9.51 points, or 0.3%, to 2,922.76
New Zealand’s NZX Index gained 25.42 points, or 0.8% to 3,310.23
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 12.70 points, or 0.3%, to 4,912.10.
