It was a mixed day for stocks in Asia Tuesday, as financials continued to hog the spotlight and pulled regional markets in either direction.
Japan led the region, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumping 2.98 percent to 13,184.96 while Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng Index was virtually flat, about 0.02 percent lower, at 22,527.48 points.
In Japan, the Nikkei index was boosted by gains in energy-linked stocks on the rebound in oil prices. Automakers and financials also led the way.
Japan's top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., increased 5.59 percent, and Honda Motor Co. rose 5.26 percent.
Banking giant Mizuho Financial Group Inc. added 3.33 percent. Nippon Oil Corp., Japan's largest refiner, jumped 4.59 percent.
Chinese stocks had a mixed performance as refiners and airlines fell on oil worries. Other major issues were largely unchanged.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.5 percent to close at 2,846.12.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., also known as Sinopec, Asia's biggest refiner by volume, slid 2.1 percent. That followed a report by China's petroleum industry association that losses at Chinese refiners would increase sharply in the first half of the year due to government controls that limit their ability to pass on rising crude costs to consumers.
China's biggest oil producer, PetroChina Ltd., fell 1.2 percent. Air China Ltd., China's biggest airline, fell 2.7 percent. China Eastern Airlines Corp. dropped 1.8 percent.
Other industries saw mixed results. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., the country's biggest commercial lender, fell 0.79 percent while No. 2 Bank of China Ltd. rose 0.25 percent.
Elsewhere:
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.1% to 5,005.60.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index gave up 0.1% to 3,143.91.
Taiwan's Weighted Index dipped 0.3% to 7,065.65.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.1% to 1,561.23.
with files from other wire services
