Asia Markets on Monday

Monday, the major markets across the Asia-Pacific region closed mostly lower as investors across the region assessed the implications of the swine flu outbreak on the global economy. The World Health Organization declared the strain of swine flu to be a "public health emergency of international concern." Additionally, investors expressed caution as they awaited the results of the stress test on 19 leading U.S. banks, which are expected to be out by May 4.

Despite the weakness seen in most of the markets in the region, the Japanese market closed higher, led by banks and drug makers. However, the strengthening of the dollar, poor earnings reports and negative news flow over the breakout of swine flu limited the upside.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 18 points or 0.21% to 8,726 and the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed at 833, up 3 points or 0.37%. Trading volume was moderate at about 2 billion shares. While textile and banking stocks closed firm, air and sea transport and mining stocks led the decliners.

Banking stocks closed stronger despite giving up most of their early gains. Pharmaceutical and surgical-mask related stocks also rose in response to news of swine flu spreading in humans worldwide. Chugai Pharmaceutical soared 14.03% on expectations of a pick-up in flu drug sales and Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K, whose subsidiary Denka Seiken makes flu vaccines, jumped 7.77%. However, All Nippon Airways slumped 5.19% and Japan Airlines tumbled 4.02% on speculation that swine flu will impact passenger traffic.

Shipping stocks came under significant selling pressure due to disappointment over fiscal 2008 earnings. Nippon Yusen fell 3.86%, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines tumbled 5.77% and Kawasaki Kisen moved down 4.46%.

The Australian market closed up modestly, led by gains in the resources sector. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed at 3,732, up 19 points or 0.52% and the broader All Ordinaries index rose 22 points or 0.59% to 3,690.

Among miners, BHP Billiton rose 1.12%, its rival Rio Tinto closed up 0.08% and Iluka Resources advanced 3.43%. Gold miner Newcrest Mining and Lihir Gold also closed sharply higher.

Among airline stocks, Quantas tumbled 4.04% and Virgin Blue slumped 5.36%, weighed down by negative news flow on the flu outbreak. Banking stocks pared all their early gains and closed mostly lower.

The South Korean market finished a volatile session lower for the second day in a row as wary institutional investors indulged in profit taking. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 1,340, down 14 points or 1.1%. Volume was at 537.02 million shares worth 6.79 trillion won (US$5.05 billion) and decliners outnumbered gainers by 491 to 369.

Kia Motor gained 2.44% after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its rating outlook on the stock to "neutral" from "underweight". Ssangyong Motor also moved up 1.92%, but Hyundai Motor declined 1.65%.

Among other notable stocks, Hynix Semiconductor rose 1.66% on better-than-expected quarterly results, steel maker POSCO gained 0.38% and telecom stock SK Telecom moved up 0.54%, while Korean Air Line plunged 7.35% and Asiana Air Line tumbled 5.21% on concerns over the swine flu outbreak. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics declined 1.18% and LG Electronics fell 3.77%.

The Hong Kong market fell sharply, led by airlines and hotel stocks on worries over a drop in international travel following the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed at 14,840, down 418 points, or 2.7% and turnover totaled HK$53.01 billion. China's Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks both A and B shares, ended down 1.8% at 2,405 following a 0.6% decline Friday.

Meanwhile, the Indian market exhibited considerable volatility amid profit taking ahead of the expiry of April series derivative contracts on Wednesday and due to a truncated trading week. The market will remain shut on April 30 and May 1 on account of parliamentary elections and Labor Day respectively. The BSE benchmark ended at 11,372, up 42.80 points or a mere 0.38% over the previous close.

Among the other markets in the region, Singapore's STI Straits Times index closed down 1.85% and Taiwan's TWII Weighed index fell nearly 3%.

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Review Asia-Pacific Markets on Thursday

The stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region closed notably higher on Thursday, as traders went bargain hunting amid hopes that growth would return sooner in many non-developed economies. However, a cautious undertone prevailed about the health of the U.S. financial industry. The global economy will probably shrink by 1.3% in 2009, the deepest slump since 1945, the International Monetary Fund predicted.


The Japanese market rallied on bargain hunting after Goldman Sachs upgraded its ratings on key automakers to "attractive" from "cautious." Construction and consumer finance stocks also closed with significant gains, but stocks in the oil and coal, insurance and sea transport sectors ended in the red.

The Nikkei 225 index closed at 8,847, up 120 points or 1.37% and the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 10 points or 1.15% to 839.

The Australian market also closed sharply higher for the day, led by miners and financials. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 closed at 3,743, up 2% or 75 points and the broader All Ordinaries index rose nearly 69 points or 2% to 3,696.

Miners ended stronger on potential gains expected from a recovery in the Chinese economy. BHP Billiton gained 3.14%, its rival Rio Tinto surged up 6.06% and Iluka Resources added 1.57%.

Banking stocks rallied due to the expiry of option contracts on Thursday. Gold miners also ended stronger as gold traded steady at $891.04 an ounce.

The South Korean market rose modestly for the fourth day in a row as an improved earnings outlook and hopes that government measures will spur demand buoyed sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI rose 13 points or 0.94% to 1,369, rising for the fourth day in a row. Volume was at 736.48 million shares worth 8.74 trillion won (US$6.5 billion) and advancers outnumbered decliners by 420 to 394.

Hyundai Motor posted a smaller-than-expected 43% decline in its first-quarter net profit. Hyundai Motor closed up 3.18%, Kia Motors advanced 5.42% and Ssangyong Motor rallied 5.56%.

Shipbuilders closed mixed. Daewoo Shipbuilding rose 2.53% and Hyundai Heavy gained 3.29%, but Samsung Heavy Industries closed down 0.16%.

Among other notable stocks, market heavyweight Samsung Electronics added 2.96%, Korean Air Lines advanced 1.45%, LG Display LCD moved up 1.79% and LG Electronics closed up 0.91%, while oil stock SK and telecom stock SK Energy Telecom ended flat.

Hynix Semiconductor tumbled 4.80% after leading shareholders of the company agreed to inject 1.3 trillion won in new funding through the issuance of fresh shares and loans for the loss-making chipmaker.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index opened higher and saw some uncertainty in the morning before the index began to climb steadily higher to close up 336.01 points or 2.26% at 15,215. The market witnessed broad based buying interest, with forty of the forty-two index components ending in positive territory.

After trading choppily in early trading, the Indian market saw a sharp comeback on buying across the board in index heavyweights. The benchmark Sensex ended the day at 11,135, up 317.45 points or 2.93% over the previous close.

Among the other markets in the region, China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.11%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 2.26% and Singapore's STI Straits Times index closed up 0.90%, but Taiwan's TWII Weighed index moved down 0.18%.


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Most of the major market ended in positive territory on Friday

The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended in positive territory on Friday, taking cues from Wall Street, where the major indices ended in positive territory on increasing confidence that the downturn in the economy has slowed down and the economy can begin to recover sooner-than-expected. Profit taking by investors trimmed the gains, however, with the markets in Australia and Hong Kong ending nearly flat, while the South Korean market ended in negative territory. The underlying trend seems to be cautiously optimistic among investors despite the downward risk for the economies remaining relatively higher.


In Tokyo, The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index added 152.32 points or 1.70% to close at 8,908 and the broader Topix Index of all First Section Issues advanced 13.53 points or 1.60% to end at 846.

On the economic front, Japan's service sector output was down a seasonally adjusted 0.8% month-over-month in February to 105.6, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The decline was worse than the 0.7% drop expected by economists and follows a 0.4% gain in January and a revised 1.6% decline in December.

Bank stocks moved up strongly in the session, while among exporters, Canon gained 1.84%, Sony surged up 5.93% and Sharp soared 9.00%. Toshiba Corp. reported an operating loss of around 250 billion yen for the year ended March 31 compared to its previous estimate of a loss of 280 billion yen. The company's shares ended higher by 4.40%. Automaker Toyota advanced 2.96% and Honda Motor gained 4.63%.

Retailer Aeon Co. has set up a line of credit totaling 200 billion yen with several financial institutions, expanding its sources of funds amid capital market instability. The company also refinanced 175.4 billion yen in loans that had been due in the fiscal year ended February 28. The company's shares are gaining 2.88%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index added 1 point or 0.03% before ending at 3,778 and the broader All Ordinaries Index added 2.5 points or 0.07% to close at 3,728.

In the mining sector, BHP Billiton moved up 0.60% and rival Rio Tinto rose 1.84%. However, gold miners ended sharply lower after gold dropped to a ten-day low overnight

Banks ended mixed on profit taking at higher levels, while in the retail sector, Harvey Norman gained 1.42%, Coles' owner Wesfarmers advanced 3.41% and Woolworths rose 1.17%, but David Jones declined 1.31%. Woolworths said its sales for the third quarter, adjusted for Easter, increased by 6.5% to A$12.3 billion. Excluding petrol sales, sales rose 8.3%. The company forecasts full year sales, excluding petrol sales, to grow in the upper single digits.

In South Korea, the benchmark KOSPI Index closed at 1,329, down 7.72 points, or 0.58% as investors preferred to take profits after a recent rally.

Among financials, Shinhan Financial lost 1.88% and Woori Finance fell 1.51%, while KB Financial ended unchanged from its previous close. Shipbuilding stocks also saw weakness. However, technology stocks ended higher. Hynix Semiconductor surged up 8.68%, LG Electronics added 0.96% and LG Display gained 0.96%. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics advanced 2.75%. In the auto space, Hyundai Motor gained 1.08%, but Kia Motor decreased 1.96% and Ssangyong Motor lost 7.50%.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index ended higher by 18.28 points or 0.27% at 15,601, giving away more than 350 points from its early gains on profit taking.

Property-related stocks ended higher, while telecommunication stocks ended mixed. Tencent gained 2.33% and China Unicom added 0.95%, but Hutchison Whimpoa lost 2.28% and China Mobile slipped 0.20%. Financial and China-related stocks saw notable weakness. Among resource stocks, Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, fell 4.45% and Petrochina lost 1.46%, but CNOOC gained 4.78%.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 30.20 points or 1.19% before closing at 2,504 and Taiwan's Weighted Index declined 4.03% or 241.79 points to end at 5,755. At the close of trading, the Jakarta Composite Index in Indonesia was up 0.60% or 9.70 points at 1,635 and the Singapore Strait Times Index was up 0.25% or 4.81 points at 1,897.


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The major markets Asia-Pacific mixed trading

Dikutip pada 16 April 2009 dari ADVFN Newsdesk untuk Saham Indonesia


The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region witnessed mixed trading on Thursday. After opening strongly in early trading on positive cues from Wall Street, the markets retreated after a government report revealed that the Chinese economy expanded at a slower pace of 6.1% during the first quarter. While the markets in Japan, Australia, South Korea and Taiwan managed to end in positive territory, the markets in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore reversed their early gains and ended in negative territory.


In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index added 12.30 points or 0.14% to close at 8,755, while the broader Topix Index of all First Section Issues slipped 0.38% or 3.21 points to close at 832.

Banking stocks declined the most, limiting the market gains. Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan's biggest bank, lost 3.07%, Sumitomo Mitsui declined 1.84% and Resona Holdings edged down 0.08%. Brokerage Nomura Holdings fell 2.51%. However, Mizuho Financial ended unchanged from the previous close. Exporters also came under selling pressure, while oil stocks showed mixed sentiment.

Drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.'s consolidated operating profit for the year ended March 31, 2009 is expected to have fallen 31%, which is an improvement over its earlier projections, the Nikkei business daily said. The company's shares edged up 0.28%.

In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 28.2 points or 0.75% to close at 3,776 and the broader All Ordinaries index added 31.7 points or 0.86% to end at 3,726.

Telecommunications stocks advanced, with Telstra gaining 1.55% and Singapore Telecommunications rising 1.68%. Media stocks also ended in positive territory. Consolidated Media added 0.50% and News Corp edged up 0.17%. Fairfax remained unchanged from the previous close.

Banking and resource stocks ended mixed. In the retail sector, David Jones fell 0.91% and Harvey Norman lost 0.71%. However, Coles' owner Wesfarmers advanced 3.32%, and Woolworths edged up 0.35%.


In South Korea, the benchmark KOSPI Index ended the trading session with a modest gain of 3.63 points or 0.27% to close at 1,337. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics ended down 0.68%, giving back part of Wednesday’s gains. Among the other technology stocks, Hynix Semiconductor declined 1.49% and LG Display edged down 0.32%, but LG Electronics advanced 0.97%.

Banking stocks acted as drags on the market. KB Financial Group declined 1.33%, Shinhan Financial fell 1.68% and Woori Finance lost 5.32%. Shipbuilding stocks moved to the upside, while auto stocks receded.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index reversed all of its early gain and ended the day lower at 15,583, down 86.63 points, or 0.55%.

China-related stocks led the declines in the market. China Resources lost 1.91%, China Overseas fell 1.34%, China Mercantile Holdings declined 4.42%, and China Shenhua shed 4.36%. Resource stocks ended on a mixed note. While Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, slipped 0.91%, CNOOC lost 3.20% and PetroChina fell 2.29%. However, financial stocks saw weakness.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index ended lower by 0.08% or 1.92 points, at 2,534 and Singapore's Strait Times slipped 14.24 points, or 0.75% to 1,892. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index added 1.97% or 31.42 points to close at 1,625 and Taiwan's Weighted Index gained 121.98 points, or 2.08%, to close at 5,997.

Asia Markets

Dikutip dari ADVFN Newsdesk untuk Saham Indonesia pada 15 April 2009

The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended mixed on Wednesday following a weaker closing on Wall Street, where the major indices declined on disappointing retail sales data and a weak producer prices report. While the markets in Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan ended lower, the markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore recouped their early losses and ended in positive territory on expectations that China might announce another stimulus plan to help revive the economy, which is already showing signs of recovery.


In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index declined 1.13% or 99.72 points to close at 8,743 and the broader Topix Index of all First Section Issues lost 8.17 points or 0.97% to close at 835.

Exporters declined after the local currency strengthened against the U.S dollar to less than 99 yen per U.S. dollar. Canon dropped 2.57%, Sony lost 4.31% and Sharp fell 2.99%.

In the banking sector, Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan's biggest bank, declined 2.98%, Mizuho Financial fell 2.04%, Sumitomo Mitsui lost 2.45% and Resona Holdings edged down 1.64%. Brokerage Nomura Holdings lost 7.73% on profit taking.

Among exporters, construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu Ltd. said Tuesday that it would close down two domestic factories and a facility operated by a subsidiary to deal with ongoing tepid demand. The company's stock fell 5.62%.

In the oil sector, Inpex eased 0.55%, Nippon Oil lost 1.52% and Showa Shell fell 1.21%. Among trading houses, Mitsubishi Corp. ended down 0.66% and Itochu slipped 0.53%, but Sumitomo Corp. gained 0.64%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index lost 5.4 points, or 0.14% to close at 3,748, and the broader All Ordinaries index dropped 4 points, or 0.11% to 3,694.

Banking stocks ended weaker. Commonwealth Bank of Australia edged down 0.82%, ANZ Banking Group lost 1.81%, and National Australia Bank fell 3.07%. Macquarie Group slipped 1.43%, while Westpac Banking bucked the trend and edged up 0.17%.

In the resources sector, index leader BHP Billiton advanced 1.51% and Rio Tinto gained 1.08% ahead of its annual general meeting in London later today. Gold-related stocks ended mixed following a decline in gold prices in Sydney. Lihir Gold lost 0.33%, but Sino Gold advanced 5.31% and Newcrest Mining gained 1.31%.

Energy stocks declined on lower oil prices. Woodside lost 1.12%, Santos edged down 0.59%, and Oil Search fell 0.75%.

Hong Kong’s benchmark, Hang Seng Index recovered early losses and ended in positive territory with a gain of 0.57% or 88.46 points to close at 15,670.

Resource stocks and china-related stocks advanced, while mixed trading was evident among financial stocks.

Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, rose 7.18%, PetroChina advanced 2.19% and CNOOC gained 3.30%. China Unicom advanced 6.44%, China Mobile gained 4.80%, China Resources soared 8.99%, and China Shinhua added 3.61%.

Toy maker Li & Fung declined more than 10% on weak retail sales data in the U.S. Li & Fung is the biggest supplier of clothing and toys to Wal-Mart (WMT).

South Korea’s benchmark, the KOSPI Index lost 0.7% or 9.54 points to close at 1,333. Financial and auto stocks ended lower, while technology stocks revealed mixed sentiment.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 8.88 points, or 0.35% at 2,536, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index advanced 1.49% or 23.40 points to 1,594 and Singapore's Strait Times Index added 8.97 points, or 0.47% at 1,906. Taiwan's Weighted Index, however, lost 17.49 points, or 0.30% at 5,875.

Asia Markets

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The major markets in the Asia-Pacific region ended higher on Tuesday on growing optimism regarding a global recovery after Goldman Sachs, the sixth largest bank in the U.S, reported better than expected financial results for the first quarter. The company also announced plans to raise $5 billion to repay all of the TARP funding it received from the U.S. government. Buoyed by the announcement from Goldman Sachs, the markets ignored the mixed closing on Wall Street and posted gains, primarily on the support lent by financial stocks. However, the Nikkei bucked the trend and ended in negative territory, dragged down by property stocks.


The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index ended at 8,843, down 81.75 points, or 0.9%, and the broader Topix index of all First Section Issues slipped 5.55 points, or 0.7%, to 843.

Property related stocks ended weaker after Sumitomo Realty & Development reported lower-than-expected earnings, primarily due to increased writedowns. The stock declined 5.60%. Among other property related stocks, Mitsubishi Estate lost 2.16%, Mitsui Fudosan lost 2.50% and Tokyu Land Corp fell 3.99%.

Automakers ended weaker following the news that the U.S. Treasury Department is directing General Motors to prepare for a liquidation filing by a June 1st deadline. However, financial stocks and resource stocks ended mixed.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 81.3 points, or 2.21% to close at 3,753 and the broader All Ordinaries index advanced 80.5 points, or 2.23% to 3,698. The market witnessed a broad based rally, with banks, miners, energy and retail stocks seeing firm buying interest.

On the economic front, the results of the latest survey of the National Australia Bank revealed that business confidence in the country improved in March, with the index rising to minus 13 from minus 22 in February. The index of business confidence increased 3 points to minus 17, but it remained at a low level not seen since 1992.

Qantas Airways staged a smart recovery in late trading and ended with a gain of 2.04%. Earlier in the day the stock declined as much as 8% after it slashed its full-year profit forecasts and flagged a further 1,750 jobs cuts and capacity reductions amid rapidly deteriorating trading conditions.

In South Korea, the benchmark KOSPI Index ended higher by 4.37 points, or 0.33% at 1,343. Among the financials, KB Financial Group gained 0.38% and Woori Finance advanced 2.50%. However, Shinhan Financial ended unchanged from the previous close.

Technology stocks ended mostly higher, while among shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries gained 0.95%, Daewoo Shipping advanced 3.27% and Samsung Heavy Industries rose 2.46%. In the auto space, Hyundai Motor edged up 0.30%, and Kia Motor remained unchanged from the previous close. However, Ssangyong Motor lost 6.03% on profit taking.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 4.55% or 678.75 points to close at 15,580. Financial stocks were the major gainers, while resource stocks also ended in positive territory. Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, rose 11.05%, CNOOC gained 7.73% and PetroChina advanced 4.43%.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 13.48 points, or 0.54% to close at 2,527, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index advanced 1.94% or 29.86 points to 1,570, Singapore's Strait Times Index edged up 1.08% or 20.25 points to 1,897 and Taiwan's Weighted Index rose 35.04 points, or 0.60% to 5,893.

Saham Indonesia: Ulasan Index dan Analisa Saham CTRP dan analisa saham CTRS

Lima Pekan sudah index DJI mengalami kenaikan atau berada di area postivenya.Untuk minggu ini DJI akan menguji resistancenya di level 8304 untuk melanjutkan kenaikannya.

Sementara Index JKSE atau index bursa saham Indonesia diprediksi akan mengalami kenaikan pada minggu pekan ini (13-17 April), menyusul keadaan kondusifnya keamanan dan politik pasca pemilu 9 April lalu... .... dan juga ditopang oleh postivenya index DJI diakhir pekan lalu sebesar 3.14% di level 8,083.38 serta bursa-bursa Asia diakhir pekan lalu juga bergerak menguat. Apakah euforia ini akan bertahan hingga diakhir pekan? Kita lihat saja.

Index bursa saham Indonesia pada pekan lalu mengalami pelemahan dua hari berturut-turut sebesar 2.3%.
Secara analisa teknikal, Index bursa saham Indonesia pada 6 April yang lalu membentuk pattern Long White Candle Breaks Resistance. Dua hari setelah itu Index bursa saham Indonesia mengalami penurunan harga namun volume meningkat. Prediksi saya index bursa saham indonesia (JKSE) akan menguji support 1463 untuk melanjutkan down trendnya.

Saham Indonesia kali ini akan belajar menganalisa saham-saham yang berada di sektor property yakni dari group ciputra (saham CTRP dansaham CTRS).
Diakhir pekan lalu, saham CTRP membentuk pattern long white candle diikuti dengan kenaikan volume diatas rata-rata volume EMA(5) hariannya. Rekomendasi trading signal: tunggu di harga penutupan diatas 210 untuk konfirmasi buy.

Saham CTRS:
Pattern: Long White Candle Breaks Resistance
Previous Trend: Side Ways
Rekomendasi: Tunggu harga penutupan diatas 325 untuk konfirmasi buy.


Semoga bermanfaat...

Asia Markets

Dikutip dari advfn Newsdesk untuk Saham Indonesia (Belajar Analisa Saham Indonesia).

The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region advanced on Thursday, taking cues from Wall Street, where the major indices ended in positive territory despite concerns over corporate earnings on optimism that the economy, which has seen a slowdown in the downward momentum, will turn direction and start recovering earlier than expected.


Speculation that the Japanese government is close to announcing a $154 billion stimulus package to revive the economy and a decision by the Bank of Korea to keep interest rates frozen at 2% on indications that the fall in the economic activity has moderated of late also generated positive sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index gained 3.74% or 321.05 points to close at 8,916, and the broader Topix Index for all First Section Issues advanced 26.55 points to 842.

On the economic front, core machine orders in Japan unexpectedly rose 1.4% in February compared to the previous month, the government said on Thursday, marking the first increase in five months. The increase compares to analysts' expectations for a 6.9% decline following the 3.2% fall in the previous month. On an annual basis, core machine orders fell 30.1%, a smaller drop when compared to forecast for a 36.7% decline.

Automakers ended higher following an announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department that automakers General Motors and Chrysler have launched auto supplier support programs backed by up to $5 billion in U.S. government funds. Honda Motor gained 1.67%, Isuzu Motors rose 9.52% and Toyota Motor gained 4.27%.

Oil stocks also saw significant buying interest. Financials also ended in positive territory following reports that the major banks in the U.S. would pass the stress test. Mitsubishi UFJ soared 6.97%, Mizuho Financial surged 10.05%, Sumitomo Mitsui advanced 5.25%and Resona Holdings gained 5.47%.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 52.10 points, or 1.44% to close at 3,672, and the broader All Ordinaries index advanced 50 points or 1.40% to close at 3,617.

On the economic front, Australia's jobless rate jumped 0.5 percentage points to a seasonally adjusted 5.7% in March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said today. The March jobless rate represented a 5-year high.

In the resources sector, index leader BHP Billiton gained 2.11%, and Rio Tinto advanced 1.87%. Gold miners ended weaker. Lihir Gold fell 0.66%, Sino Gold lost 1.92% and Newcrest Mining slipped 0.03%. Oil-related stocks gained on rising crude oil prices. Woodside Petroleum advanced 1.39%, Oil Search edged up 1.92%, and Santos added 0.36%. However, bank stocks ended on a mixed note.

In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI Index gained 4.30% or 54.28 points to close at 1,316. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics advanced 4.13%. Among other technology stocks, Hynix Semiconductor added 0.61%, LG Electronics advanced 3.68%, and LG Display gained 2.86%. Financial and oil stocks also advanced.

In the auto space, Hyundai Motor soared 8.80%, and Kia Motor gained 5.90%. However, Ssangyong Motor, which announced a restructuring plan yesterday, declined 4.02%.

The central bank of South Korea kept the 7-day repo rate unchanged at 2.0% at the conclusion of the monthly policy meeting today. The Bank stated the fall in economic activity has somewhat moderated of late. Analysts were anticipating the rates to be kept unchanged.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced 2.95% or 426.55 points to end at 14,901. The market witnessed a broad based rally, with financial, property, resource and China-related stocks showing notable strength.

US Market : Traders May Choose to Take Profits Following Recent Gains

Dikutip dari ADVFN Newsdesk

The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Monday. The lack of any major catalysts following a scintillating run up in the past four weeks places the major averages on track for a pull back, as profit taking generates selling pressure. Additionally, the forthcoming reporting season and the pre-announcement season that precedes it could leave traders jittery over the fate of corporate profits. Commodities are seeing weakness, which is likely to keep buying interest among commodity stocks subdued.


U.S. stocks extended their gains for a fourth straight week last week on strengthening hopes of a recovery. Amid trepidation over what is to befall the ailing auto sector and the anxiety stirred by the comments over the still-fluid state of the financial sector, the major averages declined sharply on Monday. However, the major averages reversed course on Tuesday, supported by the end-of-the quarter purchases by funds. Stocks advanced yet again on Wednesday, with the buying momentum kept afloat by a few positive or rather ‘not-as-bad-as expected’ economic readings.

The G20 meeting ushered in more optimism into the markets, as the major averages climbed sharply on Thursday after the G20 leaders pledged more action and funds to tackle the economic downturn. Despite trading below the unchanged line for the bulk of Friday’s session, stocks closed up on the day, as traders breathed a sigh of relief over the in-line jobs report and bought technology stocks following Research In Motion’s (RIMM) strong results.

For the week, the Dow Industrials and the S&P 500 Index rose 3.10% and 3.26%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite rallied 4.96%.

Among the sector indexes, the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Amex Airline Index jumped 7.21% and 6.03%, respectively for the week. The Amex Securities Broker/Dealer Index and the KBW Bank Index rallied over 5% each. The S&P Retail Index ended up 5.82% for the week, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index moved up 3.18%. On the other hand, the Amex Gold Bugs Index and the Amex Biotechnology Index fell 5.52% and 3.90%, respectively.

Asia Markets

Dikutip dari ADVFN Newsdesk

The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended higher on Monday, unfazed by the rocket launch by North Korea on Sunday. The major averages in the region extended their gains for a fifth consecutive week last week on increasing optimism that the worst of the global economic crisis is over and the initiatives of the governments will yield positive results in the near term.

In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index gained 1.02% or 108.09 points to close at 8,886. However, the broader Topix index of all First Section Issues pared its gains and shed 0.39 points or 0.01% to close at 831.


Automakers moved higher in reaction to the yen’s strength and a report in the Nikkei newspaper that stated that the government would subsidize purchases of eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrids. Among the automakers, Toyota advanced 1.08% and Isuzu Motors rose 8.59%. However, Honda edged down 1.26%.

Exporters also benefited from the stronger yen. Canon gained 1.63%, Sony added 1.04% and Sharp rose 4.68%. However, Trading houses slipped on profit taking, Mitsubishi Corp. lost 0.61%, Sumitomo Corp. edged down 0.11% and Itochu fell 1.14%.

Oil stocks ended higher, with Inpex advancing 4.92%, Showa Shell gaining 2.19% and Nippon Oil edging up 0.92%. However, banks pared back most of their early gains and ended mixed in reaction to a report that forecast losses for the banks for the year. Mitsubishi UFJ lost 2.47%, Mizuho Financial edged down 0.49%, and Sumitomo Mitsui declined 1.37%. However, Resona Holdings bucked trend and edged up 0.45%. Brokerage Nomura Holdings fell 0.85%.

In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 21 points or 0.56% to close at 3,757 and the broader All Ordinaries index added 22.40 points, or 0.61% to 3,696.

On the economic front, a report showed that the TD Securities-Melbourne Institute inflation gauge fell 0.1% in March, while the annual rate rose by 2.6%. Meanwhile, a survey by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group showed that the total number of job advertisements fell 8.5% in March from the month before, to average 147,804 a week.

Among banking stocks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia gained 2.11%, National Australia Bank advanced 3.33%, Westpac moved up 1.47%, and investment bank Macquarie Group rose 5.26%. However, ANZ Banking Group bucked the trend and lost 1.15%.

In the resources sector, index leader BHP Billiton lost 1.73%, and Rio Tinto fell 2.15%. Gold-related stocks ended lower following a drop in gold prices. Lihir Gold dropped 6.13%, Newcrest Mining shed 5.10%, and Sino Gold fell 4.55%. Energy and retail stocks ended on a mixed note.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced 3.11% or 452.35 points to close at 14,998. Property stocks, financials, resources and china-related stocks led the gains.

Among property stocks, Henderson Land advanced 2.79%, Wharf Holdings gained 3.05%, SHK Properties rose 3.63%, New World Development soared 7.64% and Swire Pacific added 6.18%.

Financial stocks also ended higher. HSBC Holdings gained 5.26%, Bank of China advanced 2.29%, Bank of Communications added 3.63%, ICBC rose 2.95% and Bank of East Asia moved up 3.46%.

Among the resource stocks, Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, surged 6.18%, CNOOC gained 1.68% and PetroChina rose 3.63%. However, China-related stocks ended mixed on profit taking. While China Resources gained 1.71%, China Mercantile Holdings lost 0.99% and China Overseas edged down 0.30%.

In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI Index gained 1.10% or 14.10 points to close at 1,298. Profit taking at higher levels trimmed some of the gains during the trading session. Technology, auto, financial and shipbuilders showed significant buying interest.

Among the other major markets, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index advanced 1.09% or 16.28 points to 1,517, Singapore's Strait Times Index gained 27.11 points or 1.49% to close at 1,848, and Taiwan's Weighted Index ended at 5,556, up 0.48% or 26.59 points. The Chinese market was closed for public holiday.

Asian markets Extend Rally on hopes of global recovery; profit taking limits gains

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The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended in positive territory on Friday, extending the gains on expectations that the worst had been overcome and the global economy, though still weak, is showing a slowdown in the downward momentum. Positive closing by Wall Street stocks for the third day in succession following the promise of about $1.1 trillion in loans and guarantees by the G20 leaders in London and a relaxation in the "mark-to-market" accounting rules for banks, also influenced the Asian markets. Automakers, resources and financials were the major gainers. However, profit taking at higher levels ahead of the weekend limited the gains, with the major markets closing well below the day's high.

On Thursday, the Dow closed up 216.48 points or 2.8% at 7,978, the Nasdaq closed up 51.03 points or 3.3% at 1,604 and the S&P 500 closed up 23.30 points or 2.9% at 834.

In Asian trading, crude oil ended down $0.73 at $51.91 a barrel in electronic trading. Light sweet crude for May delivery closed up $4.25 at $52.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Thursday, after hitting an intra-day low of $48.45 and a high of $52.87 on improved demand prospects amid hopes the G-20 summit will help pull the world out of the economic crisis.

In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed at 8,750, up 30.06 points, or 0.34%, and the broader Topix index of all First Section Issues added 4.67 points to 831.

Automakers led the gains on the weaker local currency. Toyota Motor surged up 7.25%, Nissan Motor advanced 5.94% and Honda Motor added 1.65%.

Exporters also ended higher. Canon advanced 1.99%; Sharp added 0.72% and Sony Corp. gained 3.23%. Among trading houses, Mitsubishi Corp. advanced 4.61%, Sumitomo Corp. gained 1.88% and Itochu added 1.54%.

Financials ended weaker in late trading on profit taking. Mitsubishi UFJ declined 0.38%, Mizuho Financial lost 1.44%, Sumitomo Mitsui shed 2.92% and Resona Holdings declined 2.72%. However, Brokerage Nomura Holdings bucked the trend and advanced 4.80%.

Oil stocks ended mixed. While Inpex declined 1.25% and Showa Shell lost 2.14%, Nippon Oil edged up 0.20%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 1.54%, or 56.60 points, to 3,736 and the broader All Ordinaries index advanced 52.90 points to 3,674.

On the economic front, the latest Australian Industry Group - Commonwealth Bank Performance of Services Index or PSI data revealed that Australian services sector activity remained weak in March. The seasonally adjusted Australian PSI rose by 3.4 points to 35.6 in March, still well below the 50.0 points level separating expansion from contraction.

Resource stocks advanced after a measure of six commodities advanced 2.9% on the London Metals Exchange. Positive economic data from China, where the Purchasing Managers' Index rose to a seasonally adjusted 52.4 in March from 49 in February also propped up resource stocks on expectations of rising demand from China, the major export destination for Australian resources.

Financials gained on expectations that change in accounting rules might improve the profits of the banks. Among banking stocks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia advanced 2.11%, ANZ Banking Group surged up 5.45%, and National Australia Bank advanced 5.48%. Westpac rose 3.02%, and investment bank Macquarie Group gained 4.97%.

In the resources sector, index leader BHP Billiton gained 3.68%, and Rio Tinto advanced 2.93%. Among energy stocks, Woodside moved up 1.79%, Oil Search rose 4.33%, and Santos gained 3.38%.

Gold miners, however, declined after gold closed lower on Thursday. Lihir Gold lost 6.60%, Sino Gold slipped 0.36%, and Newcrest Mining declined 7.11%.

In the retail sector, David Jones lost 1.05%, Woolworths slipped 0.68%, and Coles' owner Wesfarmers decreased 1.42%.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended 0.16% or 23.72 points, higher at 14,546, having pared most of the gains on profit taking.

Property related stocks advanced. Henderson Land advanced 4.93%, Sino Land gained 3.04%, New World Development added 1.50% and SHK Properties added 1.27%. However, Hang Lung Properties declined 3.81%.

Resource stocks also ended higher. Aluminum Corporation of China, or CHALCO, gained 3.09%, CNOOC advanced 1.22% and PetroChina moved up 1.09%.

Financials ended mixed on profit taking. HSBC Holdings edged up 0.10%, while Hang Seng Bank declined 1.62%. Other major banks also ended lower on profit taking.

Insurance stocks also ended mixed. While Ping An advanced 0.29%, China Life lost 0.74%.

In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI Index ended at 1,284, up 6.78 points, or 0.53%.

Financials ended higher. KB Financial Group gained 2.72%, Shinhan Financial advanced 4.14% and Woori Finance added 1.36%.

Oil-related stocks also ended higher. SK Holdings gained 1.70% and S-Oil edged up 0.34%.

Among the automakers, while Hyundai Motor gained 1.32% and Kia Motor advanced 4.01%, Ssangyong Motor declined 1.15%.

Among technology stocks, Hynix Semiconductor moved down 0.79% and LG Electronics slipped 0.20%. However, LG Display gained 0.33%. On the other hand, market heavyweight Samsung Electronics moved up 0.34%.

Shipbuilders ended weak. Hyundai Heavy Industries lost 0.24%, Samsung Heavy Industries decreased 0.92%, and Daewoo Shipping moved down 1.11%.

Among the other markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index lost 5.51 points or 0.23% to 2,420, Singapore's Strait Times Index gained 17.53 points, or 0.97% to 1,821, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index added 0.63 points or 0.04% to 1,500, and Taiwan's Weighted Index advanced 55.85 points or 1.02% to 5,530.

Asian Markets End Mixed as Investors Take Profits

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The markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended mixed on Wednesday, as investors preferred profit taking following an extended relief rally. The markets, having shrugged off the early weakness following a weak closing by Wall Street stocks, could not maintain the momentum and the euphoria over a revival in global economic conditions seems to be losing steam for want of evidence that could instill confidence. Global demand continues to be weak as is evident from a report released earlier in the day by the Japanese government, which showed that exports plummeted by a record 49.9% year-over- year while imports fell 43.0% year-over-year to 3.443 trillion yen.

In Asian trading, crude oil declined about 1.3% in electronic trading, ahead of the release of the U.S. weekly petroleum inventories report. Light sweet crude oil for May delivery ended $0.18 higher on New York Mercantile Exchange at $53.98, after hitting an intra-day high of $54.20 and a low of $52.45.

In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index declined 8.31 points, or 0.10% to close at 8,480, while the broader Topix Index of all First Section issues gained 5.77 points, or 0.7% to close at 818.

Investors evinced interest in companies whose business year will end on 31 March, as this is the last day the shares traded with rights for dividend. KDDI Corp, the second largest mobile operator in the country, gained 5.99%, and JFE Holdings, the second largest steel maker in the country, advanced 4.41%. Japan Tobacco gained 4.86%.

Banking stocks ended on a mixed note. While Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan's biggest bank, declined 0.56%, Resona Holdings lost 1.61%, and Sumitomo Mitsui fell 1.01%, Mizuho Financial moved up 0.87%. Shinsei Bank ended lower by 2.63% as the bank stated that it is planning to raise 48.2 billion yen by issuing preferred securities in the current month as it seeks to bolster its capital base.

Exporters declined on the back of a stronger yen. Canon lost 0.52%, Sharp declined 1.56% and Sony fell 2.35%. However, automakers advanced. Toyota moved up 1.27% and Honda Motor gained 0.43%.

Oil related stocks ended mixed. Inpex lost 3.01%, but Showa Shell moved up 0.87% and Nippon Oil advanced 1.92%. Among trading houses, Mitsubishi Corp. gained 1.02% and Sumitomo Corp. advanced 1.42%, but Itochu declined 0.19%.

Electronics maker Sanyo Electric Co. warned of a 90 billion yen net loss for the year ending March 2009, hurt by the worsening global recession. This compares to its earlier forecast that it would breakeven. The company's stock dropped 1.44%.

In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 29.30 points, or 0.82% to close at 3,609, and the broader All Ordinaries Index moved up 0.82%, or 28.90 points, to end at 3,546.

Financials advanced on hopes that the plan unveiled by the U.S to remove toxic assets from banks' balance sheet will help the global financial sector to stabilize sooner than expected. Australia and NZ Bank advanced 4.52%, National Australia Bank rose 3.63%, Westpac Bank added 2.97% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia increased 3.26%. However, investment bank Macquarie Group declined 4.68%.

In the resources sector, mining conglomerates ended on a mixed note after commodity prices declined in London Metals Exchange on Tuesday.

While BHP Billiton declined 1.51%, rival Rio Tinto gained 1.24% after the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission stated that the proposed investment by Aluminum Corp. of China in Rio Tinto will not affect the iron ore, copper, bauxite and alumina markets. Resource company Alumina Ltd surged up 8.07%. Oz Minerals gained more than 7% following the news that the bankers might extend loans to the company even as the Regulators sought more time to review the takeover proposal from China Minimetals Group.

Gold miners ended mostly weak after gold closed lower for a third straight session overnight. Newcrest lost 2.54% and Lihir Gold declined 3.04%. However, Sino Gold advanced 2.16%.

Following the modest gain in crude oil price overnight, oil stock Woodside Petroleum gained 2.29%, Santos advanced 4.90% and Oil Search rose 2.76%.

Retail stocks ended mostly higher. While Wesfarmers gained 3.53%, Harvey Norman rose 1.56% and David Jones added 1.06%, Woolworths dropped 0.28%.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index decreased 288.23 points, or 2.07%, to close at 13,622. Almost all the stocks, which witnessed a rally in the past few trading sessions, ended lower on profit taking.

Among financials, HSBC Holdings fell 4.69%, Hang Seng Bank lost 2.65%, BOC Hong Kong decreased 2.30%, Bank of East Asia shed 2.68% and Bank of Communications dropped 1.66%. However, Bank of China gained 1.68%.

Insurance stocks ended lower. Ping An lost 4.74%, and China Life decreased 1.74%. In telecom space, Hutchison Whimpoa fell 2.60%, Tencent declined 5.72% and China Mobile lost 0.30%.

Resource stocks also ended weaker. Aluminum Company of China, or Chalco, decreased 2.76%. CNOOC shed 4.94% and Petrochina slipped 0.30%.

Among china-related stocks, China Overseas fell 3.53% and China Resources edged down 0.16%. Utility stocks ended mixed. While HK Electric advanced 1.06%, HK & China Gas fell 0.17%.

The benchmark KOSPI Index in South Korea ended higher by 7.32 points or 0.60% at 1,229 driven by expectations that liquidity in the market will increase following measures taken by the government.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs has revealed that rules governing investment in domestic stock markets by the country's largest institutional investor, the National Pension Service, has been relaxed. The pension service is now allowed to invest in a range between 10% and 24% of its total assets in domestic markets, as against its previous range between 12% and 22%.

Meanwhile, data released by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association revealed that auto exports to Eastern Europe plunged sharply by 70.7% during February 2009 to 11,216 vehicles. The head of the Korea Development Institute, Hyun Oh-seok, stated that the country's economy is presently accumulating energy and might rebound from the second half of the year.

Financial stocks ended mixed. While Shinhan Financial Group fell 0.92%, KB Financial, the holding firm of Kookmin Bank, advanced 0.43%, and Woori Finance gained 0.92%.

Among shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries gained 1.95%, Daewoo Ship building advanced 2.22% and Samsung Heavy Industries rise 2.99%.

Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics lost 0.54%. In the technology space, while Hynix Semiconductor fell 1.92%, LG Electronics and LG Display advanced 2.06% and 2.36% respectively. Oil-related stocks advanced. SK Holdings gained 3.69%, and S-oil moved up 0.68%.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index declined 2%, or 46.86 points, to 2,292, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index fell 13.51 points, or 0.94% to 1,423, and Singapore's Strait Times Index lost 0.93%, or 15.87 points, to 1,690. However, the Taiwan Weighted Index gained 1.99%, or 104.20 points, to 5,346.

Major Averages Move Off Their Highs But Remain Firmly Positive

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Stocks have shown a strong upward move over the course of morning trading on Wednesday, with the major averages offsetting the losses posted in the previous session. The rebound comes as traders react to some much better than expected economic data.

Earlier in the day, the Commerce Department released a report revealing that durable goods orders unexpectedly showed a substantial increase in the month of February after falling in each of the six previous months.


The report showed that durable goods orders jumped 3.4 percent in February after falling by a revised 7.3 percent in January. Economists had been expecting durable goods orders to fall by 2.5 percent compared to the 4.5 percent decrease that had been reported for the previous month.

The Commerce Department also released a separate report showing an unexpected in increase in new home sales in the month of February, continuing a recent string of better than expected housing market reports.

The report showed that new home sales rose 4.7 percent to an annual rate of 337,000 in February from an upwardly revised January rate of 322,000. The results surprised economists, who had been expecting sales to fall to 300,000 from the 309,000 originally reported for the previous month.

In recent trading, the major markets have moved well off their best levels of the day, although they are holding onto strong gains. The Dow is currently up 148.46 at 7,808.43, the Nasdaq is up 26.03 at 1,542.55 and the S&P 500 is up 15.07 at 821.32.

Nasdaq Pulls Back To A New Low For The Session

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Stocks are seeing notable weakness in mid-morning trading on Tuesday, with the major averages giving back some ground after posting standout gains in the previous session. The weakness in the markets is largely due to profit taking following Monday's rally.

While stocks are moving mostly lower, selling pressure has remained somewhat subdued, as traders keep an eye on comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's before the House Financial Services Committee.


In prepared remarks, Bernanke drove home the point that while the bonuses AIG has given to employees were inappropriate, the overall bailout of the world's largest insurer was necessary to prevent a 1930s style meltdown.

Additionally, Geithner made it known that the AIG Financial Products division was unregulated, operating in unregulated ways and that all institutions that pose systemic risk to the broader economy must be subject to oversight.

The major averages have moved to the downside in recent trading, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq pulling back to a new low for the session. The Dow is currently down 100.75 at 7,675.10, the Nasdaq is down 27.08 at 1,528.69 and the S&P 500 is down 11.99 at 810.93.

Asian Markets End Higher on Optimism about Banking Sector Stability

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The major markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended in the green on Tuesday, buoyed by the cues from Wall Street, where the markets witnessed the biggest one-day rally since October 2008 after the Obama Administration unveiled plans to help banks sell toxic assets and pave way for a revival in credit flow, which is critical for reviving the economy. Positive economic data on existing home sales also lifted market sentiment.

Market analysts are speculating that the extension of the relief rally might signal that the bottom has already been reached and the markets may find stability in the short-term, on optimism that the plans will really work and the global economic recovery might take place sooner than expected, with the banking sector likely to lead the recovery.


Crude oil was modestly down at $53.54 a barrel in Asian trading having ended Monday's session higher by $1.73 at $53.80 a barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting an intra-day low of $51.62 and a high of $54.05.

In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index ended 273 points or 3.32% higher at 8,488. The broader Topix Index of all First Section issues gained 2.7% or 21.16 points to 813.

On the economic front on Tuesday, minutes from the Bank of Japan's monetary policy meeting held on February 18 and 19 revealed that board members suggested that the Japanese economy may begin to recover from the current recession in the second half of this year at the earliest. At the meeting, the board voted unanimously to keep the overnight call rate unchanged at 0.10%. The board also decided to expand special funds-supplying operations in order to facilitate a fall in longer-term interest rates that are actually applicable to fund-raising by firms and relieve them from funding concerns.

Among banking stocks, Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan's biggest bank, gained 4.49%, Sumitomo Mitsui rose 3.16% and Mizuho Financial advanced 5.00%. Exporters also gained on the back of a weaker yen. Canon advanced 4.35%, Sharp gained 3.08% and Sony rose 5.72%. Automaker Toyota added 3.61% and Honda moved up 2.42%.

Oil-related stocks also advanced. Inpex edged up 0.14%, Nippon Oil gained 3.35% and Showa Shell added 1.10%. Among trading houses, Mitsubishi Corp. gained 4.23%, Itochu moved up 3.99% and Sumitomo Corp. rose 1.89%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index, having opened strongly and gained as much as 2.6% in early trading, pared back much of its gains over the course of the session before ending higher by 29.7 points, or 0.84%, to 3,580, and the broader All Ordinaries Index, following a similar trend, closed the session up 34.20 points, or 0.98%, at 3,517.

Mining stocks advanced on higher commodity prices. BHP Billiton, the largest mining company in the world, gained 1.77% and Rio Tinto, the third largest miner in the world, advanced 4.73%. However, Oz Minerals shed 11.02% after the government extended its review into a A$1.8 billion rescue bid by Chinese state-owned Minmetals.

Among energy stocks, Woodside gained 4.50%, Oil Search advanced 5.43% and Santos rose 1.67%.

Financial stocks ended mixed as investors resorted to profit taking at higher levels. ANZ Banking Group added 1.31%, National Australia Bank moved up 0.35% and Westpac Banking gained 0.84%. Investment bank Macquarie Group surged 5.38%. On the other hand, Commonwealth Bank of Australia ended lower by 1.65%.

Retail stocks also ended mixed. David Jones advanced 1.38%, and Coles' owner Wesfarmers gained 0.97%, while Woolworths fell 1.12%.

Gold miners ended weak after gold closed marginally lower for a second straight session on Monday. Lihir Gold lost 3.53% and Newcrest Mining shed 1.96%. However, Sino Gold bucked the trend and edged up 0.18%.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 462.92 points, or 3.44% to close at 13,910, led by financial stocks, telecom and china-related shares.

Among financials, HSBC Holdings surged up 9.83%, Hang Seng Bank gained 4.94%, BOC Hong Kong advanced 6.57%, Bank of East Asia rose 6.97%, and Bank of Communications added 4.04%. Insurance stocks also gained. Ping An Insurance rose 4.44% and China Life moved up 0.58% from previous close.

Telecom stocks ended higher; Hutchison Whimpoa advanced 5.62%, China Mobile gained 1.59%, and Tencent Holdings gained 5.12%.

China-related stocks ended mixed. China Mercantile Holdings surged 11.18% and China Resources gained 0.49%. However, China Overseas lost 2.65%.

Among other major stocks, Foxconn International Holdings gained 7.91%, while retailer Espirit Holdings lost 4.71%

Resource stocks showed mixed sentiment. While Aluminum Company of China, or Chalco, decrealsed 1.17%. CNOOC and Petrochina gained 4.35% and 0.93% respectively.

The benchmark KOSPI Index in South Korea gained 22.20 points, or 1.85% and closed at 1,222.

In an effort to revive the economy by boosting demand, the South Korean government approved an extra budget of 28.9 trillion Won, equivalent to $20.7 billion, earlier in the day.

Further, in a meeting with the local business leaders and economic analysts, the Minister for Knowledge Economy stated that, based on the preliminary report from the Korea Customs Service, trade surplus for March is likely to reach $4.5 billion, due to a much sharper decline in imports than in exports during the first 20 days of the month. The data accentuates the weakness in the domestic economy.

Among the financials, Woori Finance gained 2.41%, Shinhan Financial Group advanced 3.61% and KB Financial Group, the holding firm of Kookmin bank, moved up 4.63%.

Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics rose 1.82%. Among technology stocks, Hynix Semiconductor added 0.97%. LG Electronics gained 3.60%, and LG Display moved up 2.04%.

Shipbuilders also ended higher. Hyundai Heavy Industries advanced 1.23%, Samsung Heavy Industries gained 1.90%, and Daewoo Ship building rose 2.97%.

Oil-related stocks advanced on higher crude oil prices. SK Holdings gained 4.33%, and S-Oil rose 1.37%.

Among the other major markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 12.94 points or 0.50% to 2,338, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index closed at 1,436, up 29.47 points, or 2.02%, Singapore's Strait Times Index gained 2.54%, or 42.26 points, to 1,706, and Taiwan's Weighted Index added 118.30 points, or 2.30%, to 5,242.