Investors bid stocks higher Thursday, putting regional markets back in rally mode on the heels of sharp declines at midweek.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index gained 183.50 points, or 1.10 percent, to finish at 16,860.39 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 132.51 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 18,969.44.
Nippon Steel Corp. rose 2.63 percent to 857 yen ($7.31), while Hitachi Ltd. shot up 5.31 percent gain to 853 yen ($7.29).
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. jumped 9.12 percent to 716 yen ($6.12) after the Tokyo-based machinery maker said Wednesday TXU Corp. of the United States has selected its nuclear reactor technology for a Texas power plant.
Elsewhere:
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares recovered from a sharp drop Thursday on buying in telecommunication, mining and bank blue chips. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite index closed 14.077 points or 0.8 percent higher at 1,776.361.
MANILA: Philippine shares fell for a second day Thursday as investors sold off blue chip stocks in the absence of fresh news to boost the market after its recent tumble. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 30.67 points, or 1 percent, at 3,043.61, adding to Wednesday's 3.4 percent loss.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares rose on Thursday, rebounding from a slide the previous day, amid demand for cement and plastics stocks. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange rose 125.69 points, or 1.7 percent, to close at 7,695.96
SYDNEY: The Australian share market rose sharply Thursday, boosted by strong jobs data, higher commodities prices and a rebound on Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 111.1 points, or 1.93 percent, to close at 5,853.
With files from wire services
