Asian markets overcame intraday volatility to end mostly higher Monday, with shares in Shanghai and Hong Kong closing at records while Mumbai stocks were on the way to a record finish in afternoon trading.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 average closed 0.2 percent higher at 17,358.15. But the broader Topix index fell 0.1 percent to 1,657.44, after rising as high as 1,669.37 earlier in the day.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index soared 2.4 percent to finish at a record 29,540.78. China-related shares continued to rally, lifting the Hang Seng China Enterprises index 3.5 percent to a record 19,752.67.
Shares of Advantest Corp. rose 6.4 percent, continuing to recover its losses over the past month, while Sony stock advanced 0.2 percent.
But the broad market was unsettled as banking stocks declined on continued profit-taking, with Mitsubishi UFJ dropping 3.7 percent and Mizuho Financial Group shares losing 1.8 percent.
Energy stocks soared across the region, as crude oil prices remained strong. In Hong Kong, shares of Cnooc climbed 9.8 percent and PetroChina Co. jumped 13 percent. In Mumbai, shares of Oil & Natural Gas Corp. climbed 6.3 percent in afternoon trading, and in Sydney, shares of BHP Billiton climbed 0.7 percent, while Woodside Petroleum stock gained 1 percent.
ELSEWHERE:
MUMBAI: The 30-stock Sensitive Index soared to an intraday record in afternoon trading, driven by index heavyweight ONGC.
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi ended 0.4 percent higher at 2,035.39.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Straits Times index advanced 0.4 percent to 3,872.71.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX rose to a record intraday high of 6,800.20, but succumbed to profit-taking and ended 0.2 percent lower at 6,739.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted index added 0.2 percent to 9,518.45.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX 50 index rose 0.5 percent to 4,325.09.
with files from other wire services
