Asian markets surge as US averts fiscal cliff

Filipino traders hear Mass before the start of the first day of trading at Philippine Stock Exchange at the financial district of Makati, south of Manila, Philippines on Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013. Stock markets in Asia registered relief Wednesday over the US congressional vote to stop hundreds of billions of dollars in automatic tax increases and spending cuts that risked plunging the world’s biggest economy into recession. AP/AARON FAVILA

HONG KONG—Asian markets rose sharply on Wednesday after the US Congress backed a deal to avert a “fiscal cliff” of drastic tax rises and spending cuts in an upbeat start to the year for regional markets.

As the House of Representatives approved the bill, which avoids tax hikes for most Americans and delays automatic spending cuts, investors piled into the embattled euro as the appetite for risk increased and oil prices surged.

Hong Kong was the biggest riser in Asia, adding 2.89 percent, or 655.06 points, to 23,311.98, receiving an additional boost from positive Chinese manufacturing data.

Sydney gained 1.23 percent, or 57 points, to 4,705.9, and Seoul put on 1.71 percent, or 34.05 points, advancing to 2,031.10.

Financial markets in Japan and mainland China were closed for a public holiday.

Asian shares had risen steadily on Wednesday morning in anticipation of a deal in Washington, and raced ahead in the hours after the pact was approved by US lawmakers.

Jason Hughes, head of premium client management for IG Markets Singapore, said the market reaction was “very positive.”

“With the final hurdle being passed now, we’ve got a minimum deal that avoids any immediate threat of the US falling off the cliff… that’s definitely boosted Asian equities markets,” he said.

European markets also jumped at the open Wednesday in response to the fiscal cliff deal.

The upbeat start for shares in 2013 will be a relief for investors after the uncertainty that clouded markets in the final months of last year as wrangling over the fiscal cliff dragged on.

The US deal passed the Senate early on Tuesday but its fate hung in the balance for hours as House conservatives sought to amend it to include big spending cuts, which would likely have killed it.

In the end, the House voted by 257 votes to 167 to pass the original bill after a bitterly contested session on New Year’s Day.

The deal between the White House and Senate Republicans raises taxes on the rich and puts off automatic $109 billion budget cuts for two months.

Had it splintered, all Americans would have been hit by tax increases and spending cuts would have kicked in across the government, in a combined $500 billion shock that could have rocked the fragile recovery.

The House vote took place after a conservative rebellion fizzled when it became clear there were not sufficient votes in the restive Republican caucus to send an amended version of the bill with spending cuts back to the Senate.

Republican party leaders ultimately feared they would carry the can if the deal collapsed.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was boosted by official data showing that Chinese manufacturing activity expanded in December for a third straight month, further evidence the world’s number two economy was picking up after a slowdown.

The official purchasing managers’ index stood at 50.6 in December, unchanged from the previous month. A reading above 50 indicates expansion while anything below points to contraction.

The data was released on Tuesday, but the Hong Kong market had been closed for a public holiday.

On currency markets in early European trade, the euro strengthened to $1.3277 from $1.3192 on Monday. The euro was at 115.73 yen from 114.45 yen.

The dollar rose to 87.16 yen from 86.69 yen but weakened against most other Asia-Pacific currencies.

On oil markets, New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in February, added 84 cents to $92.66 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for February delivery gained 66 cents to $111.77.

Gold was at $1,683.30 at 1115 GMT compared with $1,658.90 late Friday.

In other markets:

— Taipei was up 1.04 percent, or 79.72 points, at 7,779.22.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. added 2.68 percent to Tw$99.6 while leading smartphone maker HTC was 0.83 percent higher at Tw$303.0.

— Manila advanced 0.83 percent, or 48.26 points, to 5,860.99.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp rose 1.74 percent to 526 pesos, while its property arm Ayala Land Inc. was up 0.75 percent at 26.65 pesos.

— Singapore closed up 1.09 percent, or 34.66 points, to 3,201.74.

Agricultural commodities trader Wilmar International gained 5.7 percent to Sg$3.53 while Fraser and Neave, the subject of rival takeover bids by Thai and Indonesian tycoons, fell 0.31 percent to Sg$9.67.

— Kuala Lumpur fell 0.84 percent, or 14.23 points, to 1,674.72.

Kuala Lumpur Kepong shed 5.5 percent to 22.68 ringgit while Bumi Armada slipped 2.5 percent to 3.88.

— Jakarta rose 0.69 percent, or 29.79 points, to 4,346.48.

Lender Bank Mandiri rose 1.9 percent to 8,250 rupiah and car maker Astra International fell 1.32 percent to 7,500 rupiah.

— Bangkok rose 1.11 percent, or 15.52 points, to 1,407.45.

Coal producer Banpu added 2.43 percent to 422 baht, while electricity firm EGCO dropped 2.32 percent to 147.50 baht.

— Mumbai’s Sensex index rose 0.68 percent, or 133.43 points, at 19,714.24 points, a 20-month-high.

India’s motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto rose 3.32 percent to 2,208 rupees and the largest passenger car maker Maruti Suzuki rose 3.23 percent to 1565 rupees.

— Wellington was closed for a public holiday.