Nikkei: 8,801.40 (+160.98) Hang Seng: 19,842.79 (+600.29) Shanghai Comp: 2,528.29 (+20.20)ASIAN STOCKS rose for the first time in five days yesterday, as Greece scrapped a plan to hold a referendum on a bailout package and the European Central Bank cut interest rates.

“There’s less risk today because people are little less concerned that Greece will run on its own direction,” Michael Vogelzang, chief investment officer at Boston Advisors LLC, said.

HSBC climbed 3.2 per cent to HK$67.60 in Hong Kong.

Standard Chartered, the UK’s second-largest lender by market value, gained 2.8 per cent to HK$177.70.

Komatsu surged 6.9 per cent to ¥1,970.

Fanuc, industrial robots maker, rose 4.3 per cent to ¥12,880.

BHP Billiton, a mining company, advanced 3.9 per cent to A$37.95 in Sydney.

Glencore International, the world’s largest commodities trader, rose 2.7 per cent to HK$54.30 in Hong Kong.

Jiangxi Copper, China’s top producer of the metal, increased 5.1 per cent to HK$19.44.

Sony, Japan’s biggest exporter of consumer electronics, tumbled 7.9 per cent to ¥1,400, the most since March. – (Bloomberg)