Asia higher as autos drive Japan
 |
Japanese carmakers are showing solid gains in Thursday trade.
Story Tools
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
|
Follow the news that matters to you. Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.
Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions.
|
|
(CNN) -- Asian markets are mainly higher at midday Thursday, with solid gains for Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda after the Dow rose on Wall Street.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 average is up 0.7 percent to 10,399.02 at the end of the morning session, following its decline of 0.8 percent on Wednesday.
The broader Topix index is up 0.46 percent at 1020.70.
There are also gains for markets in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand, but South Korea is just in the red.
In Tokyo, Honda is about 3 percent ahead to 4500 yen and Toyota is 1.2 percent higher to 3420 yen. Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi Motors are also higher on improved sentiment.
Tech related stocks are also firmer, with a gain of 1.7 percent for Toshiba, 1.5 percent for Hitachi and 0.9 percent for Kyocera.
Canon is among the best performers, up 2.6 percent to 5180 yen after a report it would team up with Toshiba in a joint venture to produce flat panel TV screens.
Consumer electronics leader Sony is down half a percent to 3700 yen and NEC is also in the red. Telcos are up, with gains of 1.67 percent for NTT DoCoMo and rival KDDI.
Big banks are mainly weaker after early gains. Mizuho is down 1 percent to 284,000 yen and UFJ is also 1 percent lower to 486,000 yen. MTFG is steady at 808,000 yen.
Consumer lending company Takefuji, which plunged 11 percent Wednesday after the arrest of its founder Yasuo Takei, is down another 4 percent to 5240 yen. (Full story)
A new survey shows Japanese corporate sentiment has been on the rise in recent months, raising hopes for a sustained recovery in the world's second-largest economy. (Full story)
In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 is 0.46 percent higher to 3230.0, with a gain of 2.4 percent to A$30.06 for leading bank NAB. Airline Qantas is up 0.9 percent to A$3.44.
But other blue chips News Corp., Telstra and BHP Billiton are all slightly in the red.
In South Korea, the Kospi is 0.4 percent lower to 805.08. Samsung Electronics, the market's biggest stock, is down about 1.4 percent to 464,500 won and leading exporter Hyundai Motor is 0.6 percent lower to 47,550 won.
Big bank Shinhan is 2.3 percent ahead to 17,750 won.
In Taiwan, the Taiex is 0.47 percent higher to 5912.51, lifted by gains of 1.2 percent for AU Optronics and Quanta Computer. Acer, TSMC and UMC are all unchanged.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index is 0.19 percent higher to 1740.74. SingTel is up 1.1 percent to S$1.83, but DBS and Singapore Airlines are both in the red.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index, which hit a 28-month high earlier in the week, is up slightly, 0.14 percent ahead to 12,376.37. HSBC is steady at HK$118.50, while China Mobile is 0.4 percent higher.
New Zealand's Top 50 is 0.13 percent ahead to 2365.14 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand elected to leave rates on hold. (First story)
The market's biggest stock, Telecom, is up slightly to NZ$5.13.
On Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose above 2000 for the first time in two years, before closing 1 percent lower at 1960.25. the Dow put on 0.2 percent to 9873.42.(Full story)
