Asian markets rallied Thursday on the back of Wall Street's midweek surge.
Japanese stocks rose for a third straight session, led by banks and electronics companies. The Nikkei 225 index gained 252.17 points, or 1.92 per cent to 13,398.30.
Electronics shares rose after upbeat earnings results from IBM Corp. Advantest jumped 5.1 per cent, while Canon Inc. rose 5.1 per cent and Sony Corp. added 4.3 per cent.
Automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. gained as the dollar traded above 102 yen. In late Asian trading, the yen was at 102.45 yen.
In Hong Kong, investors mainly focused on the U.S. stock market, where the Dow Jones industrial average rose 2.1 per cent to 12,619.27, ignoring Beijing's latest credit tightening measures announced after China's markets closed Wednesday. The blue chip Hang Seng Index rose 380.61 points, or 1.6 per cent, to 24,258.96.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.1 per cent, or 68.85 points, to 3,222.74, its lowest close since March 30, 2007.
Elsewhere:
Australia's main index rose 0.9 per cent to 5,519.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index rose 1.5% to 3,568.93.
Singapore's Straits Times Index added 1.3% to 3,126.30.
Taiwan's Weighted index gained 0.3% to 9,090.43.
South Korea's Kospi advanced 0.6 per cent to 1,768.67.
with files from other wire services
