HONG KONG, Dec 29: Asian stocks closed higher on Thursday, supported by a steadier Wall Street performance following strong US consumer confidence data and led once again by Tokyo, which continued to forge ahead to fresh five-year highs, dealers said.
They said the latest US data reassured investors anxious about a possible slowdown in the world’s biggest economy and also bolstered the dollar, thereby helping the region’s exporters.
TOKYO: Japanese share prices extended their winning streak, closing above 16,300 points for the first time in over five years on optimism that an economic recovery is gaining traction, dealers said.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index rose 149.59 points or 0.92 per cent to 16,344.20, off an earlier high of 16,445.56 but still the strongest finish since September 20, 2000.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong share prices closed 0.37 per cent lower, reversing modest early gains as investors turned cautious in late trade ahead of the expiry of December futures contracts, dealers said.
Chan noted that blue chips such as HSBC and China Mobile led the losses.
HSBC closed down 0.40 at 124.90 dollars and China Mobile was off 0.50 at 37.70.
SYDNEY: Australian share prices closed 0.36 per cent higher for another record finish as firmer oil and commodities’ prices boosted the resources sector, dealers said.
In the resources sector, BHP Billiton gained 0.34 or 1.51 per cent to end at 22.93 dollars while Rio Tinto added 0.85 or 1.25 per cent to 69.10.
SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices closed 0.32 per cent higher as investors snapped up select blue chips on hopes of a year-end rally, dealers said.
Singapore Airlines rose 10 cents to 12.00 dollars but Singapore Telecommunications eased two cents to 2.61.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices closed 0.55 per cent higher, breaching the 900-point barrier as the bourse was boosted by year-end window dressing, dealers said.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index rose 4.94 points to 900.49.
JAKARTA: Indonesian share prices closed 0.13 per cent lower in quiet trade on the final trading day of the year, with losses in Bank Mandiri and Astra International weighing on the index, dealers said.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand share prices closed 0.38 per cent higher in very thin holiday trade, with no corporare or other news to provide a lead for the market, dealers said.
The benchmark NZSX-50 gross index gained 12.64 points to 3,357.43 on turnover of 32.81 million New Zealand (22.09 million US) dollars.
Blue chip stock Telecom again led the way, rising six cents to 6.01 dollars.
MUMBAI: Indian share prices rose 0.71 per cent, putting in another strong performance on the back of sustained foreign fund buying in leading benchmark index companies, dealers said.
The Mumbai stock exchange’s 30-share Sensex was up 65.74 points at 9,323.25 as gains led declines 1,530 to 935.—AFP
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