By V. Phani Kumar, MarketWatch
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks soared on Tuesday to
stand head-and-shoulders over other regional markets, as investors
returning from a four-day weekend played catch-up with central-bank
decisions, strong U.S. jobs data and a weaker yen.
The Nikkei Stock Average soared 2.8% to 14,083.26, topping the
14,000-point level for the first time since June 2008, while the
broader Topix index gained 2.6%.
The jump came as the market reopened for the first time since
Thursday, reacting to developments in the interim, including the
European Central Bank's quarter-point rate cut, the Federal
Reserve's commitment to cut or increase its monthly bond purchases
as required, and better-than-expected data on U.S. nonfarm
payrolls.
The dollar (USDJPY) also moved back above the 99-yen level,
staying within reach of the psychologically important Yen100 level,
after trading under Yen98 during last Thursday's Japanese stock
session.
"A further widening in the U.S. yield advantage over Japan will
be required to push [the dollar's rate against the yen] higher,
especially as recent flow data have shown both Japanese investor
repatriation and net foreign buying of Japanese portfolio assets,"
Crédit Agricole head of global markets research Mitul Kotecha
said.
"Despite these inflows, we expect a break [above] Yen100 to
occur very soon, with appetite for foreign assets from Japanese
[life insurers] and government pension funds, providing much of the
ammunition for a sustained move higher," Kotecha said.
Shares of Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) jumped 4.6% a day after the
Nikkei newspaper reported the auto giant was expected to report a
more-than-tripling of its group operating profit for the year ended
March 31, exceeding the forecast it issued in February.
Also leading the charge among exporters, shares of Nissan Motor
Co. (NSANY) spiked 3.8%, Sony Corp. (SNE) surged 6%, and Nintendo
Co. (NTDOY) added 2.5%.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.3%, and Hong
Kong's Hang Seng Index edged up 0.2% in choppy trade, overcoming an
early struggle to extend the gains they recorded in the previous
session.
On the downside, South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.3%, while
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.4% in Sydney, reflecting
caution ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia's monetary-policy
decision.
Several surveys of economists showed a majority expecting no
action, though markets were pricing a roughly 50-50 chance of a
quarter-point rate cut.
Banking stocks weakened in Sydney, with shares of Commonwealth
Bank of Australia [(CBAUY) off 1.1%, and Westpac Banking Corp.
(WBK) 1.4% lower, while Australia & New Zealand Banking Group
(ANZBY) declined 0.9%.
The drop came after Australia's banking regulator said it
wouldn't delay the implementation of new minimum liquidity
standards, breaking from international regulators who had decided
on a 2019 deadline for global banks to put the rules in effect.
Meanwhile, shares of Billabong International Ltd. (BBG.AU) were
halted in Sydney at the surfwear retailer's request, saying the
move was related to possible transactions involving the company.
The halt will be in effect until Thursday or whenever the company
makes an announcement. Billabong has been in talks with potential
buyers.
Weakness in financial stocks limited gains in Hong Kong, with
Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. (ACGBY) losing 0.5% and China
Construction Bank Corp. (CICHY) dropping 0.5%.
Heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) moved in a narrow range
around Monday's closing level ahead of its quarterly results later
in the day.
The performance in Shanghai and Hong Kong came as markets
awaited the release of a slew of Chinese economic data, starting
Wednesday. China will release its monthly trade data Wednesday,
followed by inflation numbers a day later.
Figures released recently from the National Bureau of Statistics
and HSBC showed Chinese economic activity had cooled in both the
manufacturing and services sectors in April.
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