Upbeat factory reports spur optimism in Asian markets

29 Feb 2012 Evaluate

Stock markets across Asia remained in an optimistic mood on Wednesday with most markets in the region surging over a percentage points. Barring the Chinese benchmark, all equity indices in the region climbed to higher levels as sentiments got a lift from positive overnight close on Wall Street where encouraging consumer confidence data helped push the Dow above 13,000 for the first time in nearly 4 years. The high hopes associated with European Central Bank's second 3-year long-term refinancing operation (LTRO) later in the day have more than offset the lingering European debt worries.

Besides, the encouraging Japanese industrial production data which expanded at a better than expected pace of 2 percent in January from the previous month along with South Korea’s factory output data which grew 3.3 percent exceeding estimates also underpinned sentiments in the region. However, the benchmark in Shanghai bucked the optimistic trend and slipped lower led by property shares amid little signs of easing measures that aim at controlling prices.

Hang Seng advanced 118.15 points or 0.55% to 21,686.88, Jakarta Composite surged 48.70 points or 1.25% to 3,952.25, KLSE Composite climbed 12.41 points or 0.80% to 1,569.14, Nikkei 225 soared 123.94 points or 1.27% to 9,846.46, Straits Times ascended 22.29 points or 0.75% to 2,992.02, Seoul Composite amassed 27.82 points or 1.39% to 2,031.51 and Taiwan Weighted jumped 132.84 points or 1.67% to 8,092.18.

On the flipside only Shanghai Composite slipped 7.40 points or 0.30% to 2,444.46.

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