Asian shares ended mostly higher Friday after data from China appeared to show that the economic recovery there is gaining momentum while brighter U.S. jobs data lifted stocks on Wall Street.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 Index raced back above the 10,000-point barrier Friday, gaining 245.05 points, or 2.5%, to 10,107.87
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained back 202.07 points, or 0.9%, to 21,902.11.
In Tokyo, exporters' shares rebounded from recent losses as the yen retreated. TDK surged 6.2%, Nissan Motor added 3.9%, and Toyota Motor advanced 2.7%.
The gains came ahead of next week's Tankan business sentiment survey by the Bank of Japan.
Japan Airlines dropped 1% after the Nikkei reported the government was planning to forgo funding for guarantees to financial institutions on loans or investments provided to the firm in fiscal 2009's second supplementary budget.
In Hong Kong, shares of China Mengniu Dairy rose 2.2% and China Huiyuan Juice Group added 4.9%.
In Seoul, exporters were aided after the positive economic data from China, but some of them reversed direction after a string of recent advances. Kia Motors ended 0.3% up and Hynix Semiconductor gained 0.2%, while Samsung Electronics fell 0.4%, reversing early gains.
CHINA
Data from Beijing showed an on-year rise in consumer prices for the first time in 10 months in November, while monthly industrial output surged 19.2% from the year-ago period.
The Shanghai 300 Composite Index slid 2.22 points to 3,575.02
Jing Ulrich, head of China equities and commodities at J.P. Morgan said although the data indicated continued economic recovery, "a mild inflationary outlook and uncertainty in major export markets" would keep China from tightening its monetary policy in a hurry.
Property stocks and banks declined on worries Beijing plans to curb speculation in the property market. Beijing Huaye Realestate Co. dropped 1.5% and Poly Real Estate Group Co. fell 1%, while China Minsheng Banking Corp. dropped 0.5%.
But some foods and consumer goods companies rose after the positive economic data, with Hunan Jinjian Cereals Industry soaring 7.4%.
Elsewhere;
Taiwan’s Taiex index was up 117.16 points, or 1.5%, to 7,795.07
Singapore’s Straits Times index recovered 18.89 points, or 0.7%, to 2,800.75
Korea’s Kospi index gained 4.17 points to 1,656.90
New Zealand’s NZX Index finished 4.30 points lower at 3,127.98
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 28.50 points, or 0.6%, to end the week at 4,635.20
