Asian stocks rose across the region Thursday, with Japanese markets extending gains in afternoon trading as Sony Inc. advanced on reports it will soon list its financial unit while Kyocera Corp. gained ahead of its earnings report.
In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 193.01 points, or 1.12 percent, to finish at 17,429.17 while in Hong Kong, the blue chip Hang Seng Index ose 130.51 points, or 0.64 percent, to 20,667.29.
Electronics, auto and steel shares led the way following Wall Street's overnight advance. Gainers included Canon Inc., which rose 1.49 percent, Nissan Motor Co. added 1.93 percent and Toshiba Corp. climbed 0.90 percent.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thailand shares edged up with the Stock Exchange of Thailand's SET index adding 0.49 points, or 0.07 percent, to 690.79.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares closed at a fresh record high, boosted by gains across Asian markets following Wall Street's rally overnight. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index gained 29.36 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,016.03.
KUALA LUMPUR: Financial markets in Malaysia were closed for the coronation of Malaysia's new king.
MANILA: Philippine shares advanced on aggressive buying in blue chips that are expected to post strong first-quarter earnings. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 40.91 points, or 1.2 percent, at 3,350.34.
MUMBAI: Indian shares ended flat, giving up most intraday gains with cement company Grasim Industries and bank stocks leading gains. The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share Sensex index gained a modest 11 points, or 0.1 percent, to 14,229 points.
SEOUL: South Korean shares rose on gains in banks, strength in U.S. stocks and easing concerns over the Chinese economy. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.58 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,553.13.
SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks rose to another record high, despite news that the country's state pension fund was reducing exposure to the market. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1 percent to 3,783.06 -- the 16th time this month that it has closed at an all-time high. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 1.4 percent to 1,057.05, also a record close.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares rose, tracking gains on Wall Street and on expectations of good earnings reports over the next few days. The Straits Times Index gained 44.21 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 3,406.89.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares rose slightly amid concerns that China may take actions to cool its booming economy. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange gained 15.39 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 8000.04 in light volume.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks rose, following a strong lead from Wall Street and largely ignoring a rate rise by the New Zealand central bank. The benchmark NZX-50 index was up 11.8 points or 0.3 percent to 4,174.90.
SYDNEY: Australian stocks climbed, tracking gains on Wall Street, with some blue chips such as Macquarie Bank and plasma group CSL hitting record highs. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 24 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,212.2.
With files from wire services
