Japanese and Australian stocks ranked as Asian standouts Wednesday, with exporters such as Canon Inc. advancing after upbeat U.S. economic data eased concerns over the growth outlook for the region's most important export market, while higher base-metals prices lifted BHP Billiton and other miners.
In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 139.88 points, or 0.8 percent, to finish at 17,667.33 while in Hong Kong, the blue chip Hang Seng Index fell 11.52 points, or 0.1 percent, to 20,777.09.
Tokyu Land Corp. closed up 5.16 percent to 1,344 yen (US$11.29) after the Tokyo-based real estate developer revised upward its last fiscal profit. Mitsubishi Estate Co. climbed 3.33 percent to 3,720 yen (US$31.26).
Other gainers included Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., which posted a 5.18 percent gain to 1,299 yen (US$10.92).
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares ended down 0.4 percent at 692.27 in extremely thin trade on profit taking in banking, energy blue chips.
JAKARTA: Indonesia's shares fell 0.3 percent at 1,959.68, dragged by selling in heavyweight Telkom.
MANILA: Philippine shares declined as investors locked in profits following the market's two-day rise. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 22.89 points, or 0.7 percent, at 3,295.28.
MUMBAI: Indian shares climbed, led by banking shares on continued bargain hunting, but intraday gains were lost toward the close of session as investors took profit at higher levels. The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share Sensex index gained 65 points, or 0.5 percent, to end at 13,672 points.
SEOUL: South Korean shares rose to a new record high, boosted by a surge in shares of Samsung Fire and Marine, despite losses in technology stocks. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, rose 5.92 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,534.58, surpassing the previous record set Monday.
SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks inched higher as subscriptions for shares in China Citic Bank's initial public offering absorbed funds from banking shares, offsetting gains in the electricity sector. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed barely changed at 3,612.40, while the Shenzhen Composite Index rose 2 percent to a record 1,009.66.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's shares closed modestly lower, with investors cautious before quarterly earnings begin. The Straits Times Index closed down 14.91 points or 0.4 percent at 3,400.41.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares rose in light trading, as investors shunned high tech stocks ahead of the release of 1st quarter results. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock exchange climbed 44.02 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 8003.31 points.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks edged slightly higher for the third consecutive session, but the strong local dollar put a cap on gains. The benchmark NZX-50 index rose 16.57 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,193.57.
SYDNEY: Australian shares rose to a record following a strong lead from Wall Street overnight and boosted by positive gains in the mining and financial sectors. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed up 50.4 points at 6,236.9.
With files from wire services
