US RETAIL SALES GIVE WINGS TO ASIAN EXCHANGES
Le Asian bags they rose for the first time in three days after US retail sales, which posted the biggest jump since 2012, stoked markets optimism about the US recovery. Among the featured titles, Nissan Motor led the advance of Japanese export companies. Asics gained 4,1% in Tokyo after Nomura Holdings advised the purchase of the active sportswear stock. CapitaMalls Asia jumped 21% in Singapore after CapitaLand, Southeast Asia's largest real estate group offered to buy the rest of its mall unit for around S$3,06 billion . SK Hynix advanced 1,8% in Seoul after Shinhan Investment predicted improved profits for the semiconductor maker. The MSCI Asia Pacific index gained 0,2% to trade at 137.64 as of 9:40am in Hong Kong, with 8 of the ten industry groups rising. The measure had collapsed yesterday to its lowest level in the last two weeks, bringing the year-to-date losses to 2,8 percent.
“Global growth and subdued inflation should be positive for earnings growth and therefore for the stock market,” he comments Keith Poore, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors in Wellington"Valuations, however, have grown dramatically and our portfolio has become less aggressive." Japan's Topix rose 0,5%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 by 0,6%, New Zealand's NZX 50 and South Korea's Kospi by 0,1 percent. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0,2% and mainland China's Hang Seng China Enterprises fell 0,1%. The Shanghai Composite slipped 0,5% and Taiwan's Taiex gained 0,5%. Finally, the Straits Times jumped 0,8 percent.
http://bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-15/asian-stock-index-headed-for-first-advance-in-three-days.html
