Nikkei: 9,965.01 (+131.98) Hang Seng: 22,663.37 (+223.12) Shanghai Comp: 2,703.78 (+2.05)ASIAN STOCKS surged to their best gains in more than two months yesterday, as strong earnings within Japan's financial sector helped underline the improving mood within the region's dealing rooms.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Japan’s largest publicly traded bank, was lifted by a threefold increase in first-quarter net profit.
The bank’s shares jumped 4.1 per cent to ¥408.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial rose 2.9 per cent to ¥2,505 and Mizuho Financial jumped 2.4 per cent to ¥130.
Honda, a car maker with North America as its biggest market, rose 1.5 per cent to ¥3,125.
Fanuc, an industrial robot maker, rose 4.6 per cent to ¥15,280.
South Korea’s Kospi Composite index added 1.8 per cent to 2,172.31 as technology exporters surged. Hynix Semiconductor, the world’s second-biggest memory chip maker, jumped 5.4 per cent to Won25,550.
Australia’s SP/ASX 200 rose 1.7 per cent led by miners and oil producers. BHP Billiton, climbed 2.1 per cent to A$42.30. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)
