Investing.com – Asian stocks posted sharp gains on Thursday, as shares in the commodity sector boosted markets, while Japanese exporters advanced amid indications that the U.S. economy was improving.
During late Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.71%, South Korea's Kospi Composite surged 1.09%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.81%.
Shares in the commodity sector performed strongly as crude oil and metal prices rallied. Japan’s biggest oil exporter Inpex saw shares jump 1.15%, Sumitomo Metal Mining saw shares climb 1.84%, while shares in Japan’s largest commodities trader Mitsubishi Corporation added 1.31%.
Meanwhile, shares in many of the big name Japanese exporters advanced amid signals that the U.S. economic recovery was improving after U.S. non-farm payrolls posted their biggest gain since March 2007.
Shares in the world’s biggest camera maker Canon surged 2.53%, electronic maker Sharp saw shares advance 1.12%, while shares in automaker Honda rallied 1.79% after data showed that the company’s new vehicle sales in the U.S. rose by 21% in November.
Meanwhile, shares in the financial sector were broadly higher amid speculation that European policy makers were set to intervene to prevent the region’s debt crisis spreading.
Shares in Japan’s third-largest lender Mizuho Financial Group jumped 1.50%, while stocks of the nation’s largest lender Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group gained 1.01%.
Elsewhere, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 surged 1.95%, as shares in the world’s largest mining group BHP Billiton soared 2.62%, rivals Rio Tinto saw shares jump 2.30%, while shares in gold producer Newcrest Mining added 1.79%.
The outlook for European equity markets, meanwhile, was upbeat. The EURO STOXX 50 futures pointed to a gain of 0.33%, France’s CAC 40 futures indicated an increase of 0.37%, the FTSE 100 futures pointed to a gain of 0.22% and Germany's DAX futures were up 0.28%.
Later in the day, the European Central Bank was to announce its benchmark interest rate. The announcement was to be followed by a press conference. Meanwhile, the U.S. was to publish key weekly data on initial jobless claims as well as a report on pending home sales.
During late Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.71%, South Korea's Kospi Composite surged 1.09%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.81%.
Shares in the commodity sector performed strongly as crude oil and metal prices rallied. Japan’s biggest oil exporter Inpex saw shares jump 1.15%, Sumitomo Metal Mining saw shares climb 1.84%, while shares in Japan’s largest commodities trader Mitsubishi Corporation added 1.31%.
Meanwhile, shares in many of the big name Japanese exporters advanced amid signals that the U.S. economic recovery was improving after U.S. non-farm payrolls posted their biggest gain since March 2007.
Shares in the world’s biggest camera maker Canon surged 2.53%, electronic maker Sharp saw shares advance 1.12%, while shares in automaker Honda rallied 1.79% after data showed that the company’s new vehicle sales in the U.S. rose by 21% in November.
Meanwhile, shares in the financial sector were broadly higher amid speculation that European policy makers were set to intervene to prevent the region’s debt crisis spreading.
Shares in Japan’s third-largest lender Mizuho Financial Group jumped 1.50%, while stocks of the nation’s largest lender Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group gained 1.01%.
Elsewhere, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 surged 1.95%, as shares in the world’s largest mining group BHP Billiton soared 2.62%, rivals Rio Tinto saw shares jump 2.30%, while shares in gold producer Newcrest Mining added 1.79%.
The outlook for European equity markets, meanwhile, was upbeat. The EURO STOXX 50 futures pointed to a gain of 0.33%, France’s CAC 40 futures indicated an increase of 0.37%, the FTSE 100 futures pointed to a gain of 0.22% and Germany's DAX futures were up 0.28%.
Later in the day, the European Central Bank was to announce its benchmark interest rate. The announcement was to be followed by a press conference. Meanwhile, the U.S. was to publish key weekly data on initial jobless claims as well as a report on pending home sales.