Asian stocks climb on US jobs report

A man looks at an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo on April 25, 2013. Asian markets rose Monday, May 6, 2013, after a strong US jobs report revived optimism over the US economic recovery and drove Wall Street to record highs. AP PHOTO/KOJI SASAHARA

HONG KONG—Asian markets rose Monday after a strong US jobs report revived optimism over the US economic recovery and drove Wall Street to record highs.

Hong Kong shares rose 0.99 percent, or 225.13 points, to close at 22,915.09 while Shanghai advanced 1.16 percent, or 25.67 points, to 2,231.17.

Sydney added 0.52 percent, or 26.7 points, to 5,156.2. Tokyo and Bangkok were closed for holidays.

Malaysian shares soared as much as 7.76 percent to a record high of 1,826 points as investors welcomed the poll victory of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which retained power by a comfortable margin in Sunday’s general election.

Profit-taking pared the early gains, with Kuala Lumpur closing up 3.38 percent, or 57.25 points, at 1,752.02.

“It is a show of confidence in the ruling coalition,” said M & A Securities dealer Ooi Chin Hock.

Bucking the trend, South Korean shares ended down 0.22 percent, or 4.23 points, at 1,961.48 as negative corporate results from construction, steel, and material makers hit sentiment.

US stocks soared to new records Friday after a strong jobs report that saw unemployment fall to 7.5 percent squashed fears that the economic recovery had stalled.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up 0.96 percent at 14,973.96, having breached the 15,000 mark earlier for the first time.

The S&P 500 also finished 1.05 percent higher at a record 1,614.42 points, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 1.14 percent to 3,378.63 points.

The Department of Labor reported an addition of 165,000 jobs for April, which exceeded analyst expectations. But it also made large upward revisions for the prior two months that showed 114,000 more jobs were added than initially estimated.

European markets also posted strong gains, with Germany’s DAX 30 index jumping 2.02 percent to an all-time high of 8,122.29 points while London’s FTSE 100 index added 0.94 percent to 6,521.46 points.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates to a new record low on Thursday to help stimulate growth in the sluggish eurozone.

Influential billionaire investor Warren Buffett expressed optimism over stock prices at the weekend and praised the policies of President Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush for moving the US economy in the right direction.

“They don’t look overpriced. They certainly look more attractive than fixed-income investments to me,” he told ABC’s “This Week” television talkshow in an interview that aired Sunday.

Buffett said the economy had been improving gradually over the last four years, and it would take time before the US experiences more rapid growth.

“Positive US economic data and European Central Bank’s easing bias provide a favorable backdrop, but don’t forget that China’s economy remains a concern,” Alvin Cheung, associate director at Prudential Brokerage in Hong Kong, told Dow Jones Newswires.

China is due to release trade and inflation data later this week.

On the forex market the euro was at $1.3109 Monday from $1.3116 in New York late Friday. The single currency was also buying 130.23 yen from 129.80 yen.

The dollar was up to 99.36 yen from 99.00 yen.

Oil was higher, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, adding 84 cents to $96.45 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for June delivery gaining 56 cents to $104.75.

Gold was at $1,476.70 an ounce at 1030 GMT compared with $1,485.40 late Friday.

In other markets:

— Singapore closed up 0.37 percent, or 12.39 points, at 3,382.29.

Singapore Telecommunications gained 1.05 percent to Sg$3.85 while DBS Bank was up 0.29 percent at Sg$17.45.

— Jakarta added 1.35 percent, or 66.39 points, to 4,991.87.

Palm oil firm Astra Agro Lestari gained 1.42 percent to 17,900 rupiah while carmaker Astra International rose 1.45 to 7,000 rupiah.

— Taipei rose 0.42 percent, or 34.02 points, to 8,169.05.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. gained 1.36 percent to Tw$111.5 while leading integrated chip design house MediaTek was 1.64 percent higher at Tw$372.5.

— Manila closed down 0.62 percent, or 44.70 points, to 7,170.650 after last-minute selling reversed earlier gains.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. shed 0.51 percent to 3,074 pesos and Ayala Corp. dropped 0.30 percent to 660 pesos.

— Wellington advanced 1.14 percent, or 51.91 points, to 4,596.23.

Fletcher Building was up 1.99 percent at NZ$8.19 and Telecom Corp. rose 2.10 percent to NZ$2.68.

— Mumbai rose 0.50 percent, or 98.0 points, to 19,673.64 points.

Leading steel producer Tata Steel rose 3.58 percent to 322.35 rupees while the country’s biggest IT outsourcer TCS rose 3.25 percent to 1,464.85 rupees.