Asian stocks rose for the first time in four days after U.S. consumer confidence increased, boosting the outlook for the region’s exporters.
The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 133.15 points, or 1.4%, to 9,691.84. The trade ministry said 60% of factories in earthquake-stricken areas have restarted production.
The nation’s sovereign-rating outlook was cut to "negative" by Standard & Poor’s as reconstruction costs following last month’s temblor will likely add to what is already the world’s biggest debt load.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index tripped 114.54 points, or 0.5%, to 23,892.80
Samsung Electronics Co., Asia’s largest maker of chips, flat screens and mobile phones, gained 3%in Seoul. Canon Inc., the world’s biggest manufacturer of cameras, surged 7% in Tokyo.
Origin Energy Ltd., Australia’s number-one energy retailer, increased 3.9% in Sydney after it and ConocoPhillips signed an agreement last week to supply liquefied natural gas to China Petrochemical Corp. Australia resumed trading today following a five-day Easter break.
South Korea’s Kospi Index was little changed as the nation’s economic growth accelerated in the first quarter, bolstering the case for another interest-rate increase. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index fell after a report showed the country’s consumer prices gained the most in five years in the first quarter, increasing pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise rates.
Samsung Electronics, which gets about 22% of sales from America, climbed 3% in Seoul. Li & Fung Ltd., the biggest supplier of clothes and toys to retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., gained 1% in Hong Kong. Canon, which gets more than 80% of its sales outside of Japan, surged 7% in Tokyo.
Honda Motor Co., Japan’s second-largest carmaker, gained 1.5% in Tokyo. Nissan Motor Co., the country’s number-three carmaker, rose 2.2%. Fanuc Corporation, the nation’s biggest maker of industrial robots, increased 3.6%.
Origin Energy jumped 3.9% in Sydney. The company and its partner ConocoPhillips last week clinched Australia’s largest liquefied-natural-gas export deal, agreeing to supply 4.3 million metric tons of the fuel a year over two decades to China Petrochemical.
South Korean construction companies rallied after the Edaily reported the government may announce measures to help builders repay real-estate development loans, citing Construction Minister Chung Jong Hwan.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., South Korea’s number-one builder, surged 7.8% in Seoul. GS Engineering & Construction Corp., the country’s third-largest builder, rose 5.4%. Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., the fourth-biggest, increased 5.8%.
In other markets;
Shanghai’s CSI 300 Composite Index slid 21.46 points, or 0.7%, to 3,209.50
Korea’s Kospi Index squeaked higher by 0.40 points to 2,206.70
Taiwan’s Taiex Index bolted 101.11 points, or 1.1%, higher to 9,049.25
Singapore’s Straits Times Index moved higher 10.85 points, or 0.3%, to 3,182.68
New Zealand’s NZX 50 grew 5.56 points, or 0.2%, to 3,492.04
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 40.90 points, or 0.8%, to 4,872.90
