Most Asian shares climb

GLOBAL MARKETS/ STOCK REPORT

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was little changed at 148.86 as of 6:08 pm in Tokyo, after trading between a 0.4 per cent decline and a 0.2 per cent gain. About four stocks climbed for every three that retreated among the benchmark's 1,145 constituents.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average added 0.6 per cent to 13,743.36. Indexes in most Asian markets open for trading advanced, except for Thailand. South Korea and Hong Kong, which were shut on Monday for holidays.

Toray Industries, Japan's largest maker of synthetic fibers, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, the fifth-largest chemical producer by market value, slumped after saying profit will drop this year.

Europe
Stocks in Europe rose for the first time in three days as an oil discovery in the North Sea and higher copper prices boosted the profit outlook for commodity companies.

Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index gained 0.6 per cent to 326.80 at 11:07 am in London as all 18 industry groups increased. Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 0.2 per cent.

The Stoxx 50 Index gained 0.7 per cent, as did the Euro Stoxx 50, a measure for the countries sharing the euro. France's CAC 40 added 0.9 per cent, while Germany's DAX climbed 0.8 per cent. The UK's FTSE 100 increased 0.6 per cent.

Markets in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, South Korea and Hong Kong were shut on Monday for holidays.

US
US stocks had the first weekly drop in a month on Friday after new disclosure requirements for investment banks and American International Group's need to raise $12.5 billion spurred concern of further losses for financial firms.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 1.8 per cent to 1,388.28 this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.4 per cent to 12,745.88.

The Russell 2000 Index of small-cap stocks retreated 0.8 per cent to 720.05. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, or VIX, the benchmark for US options prices, jumped 6.8 per cent to 19.41.