Asian markets close higher


NTT DoCoMo was a major mover on the Tokyo market Thursday

HONG KONG, China -- Asian markets closed higher, with Tokyo recovering from a shaky start to end in the black. South Korea eased after touching a two-year high early in the day.

Firmness in Japan's leading mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo and in major bank shares saw the benchmark Nikkei 225 average end 9.43 points, or 0.08 percent, higher at 11,333.11.

The broader, capital-weighted Topix index edged up 5.11 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1082.43.

In other markets in the region, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong were all higher as blue chips advanced.

In Tokyo, investors chased the market's biggest stock by capitalization, NTT DoCoMo, on expectations it would post a group net loss of 100 billion yen ($754 million) and take a special charge of one trillion yen ($7.54 billion) on overseas investments.

It closed 3.75 percent higher at 360,000 yen, after touching 364,000 yen. Parent NTT rose 3.46 percent to 509,000 yen.

Banks move up


Japanese banks jumped sharply, with UFJ Holdings up 5.65 percent

In the banking sector, Mizuho Holdings jumped 5.69 percent to 316,000 yen, while UFJ Holdings climbed 5.65 percent to 318,000 yen. Sumitomo Mitsui added 18 yen or 3.37 percent to 552 yen, and MTFG closed unchanged at 810,000 yen.

Automaker Toyota Motor added 1.87 percent to 3820 yen, Nissan rose 1.38 percent to 958 yen and Honda edged up 1.27 percent to 5570 yen.

Mitsubishi Motors, which jumped sharply Wednesday on confirmation that Rolf Eckrodt would become CEO in June, eased 4 yen or 1.18 percent to 336 yen.

Consumer electronics giant Sony Corp put on 120 yen or 1.77 percent to 6890 yen and Toshiba jumped 3.16 percent to 555 yen.

Seoul shares initally rose, but then eased for the benchmark Kospi to close 9.79 points, or just over 1 percent, lower at 892.67. It touched a two-year high of 914.93 earlier in the day.

Solid domestic consumption and expectations for a recovery in exports boosted domestic and export-oriented shares, analysts said.

Jump for Hynix

Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics eased 1.65 percent to 357,500 won and SK Telecom was down 2.34 percent to 292,000 won. Chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor moved against the trend, jumping 5.78 percent to 1555 won.

In Australia, the market closed fractionally higher on strength in selected retailers, food groups and bluechips Telstra and Commonwealth Bank. Other banks were lower, as were miners and media giant News Corp.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 3.3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 3414.8.

Resources giant BHP was unchanged at A$11.40, but rival Rio Tinto dropped 0.32 percent to A$37.69.

In Taiwan, the main Taiex index added 62.17 points, or 1 percent, to 6209.92.

Chip foundry UMC added T$2.00, or 3.92 percent, to T$53.00 after it approved a plan to sell 80 million common shares in AU Optronics, the world's third-largest display panel maker.

UMC's rival TSMC added 2.7 percent to T$95.00 and Hon Hai Precision rose 1.88 percent to T$163.00.

In Singapore, the benchmark Straits Times Index was up 0.74 percent, or 13.31 points, at 1,808.47 near the close.

Hang Seng higher

Among the blue chips, United Overseas Bank rose 1.33 percent to S$15.20, and DBS added 1.36 percent to S$14.90. Singapore Press Holdings climbed 0.82 percent to S$24.70.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed higher, up 45.04 points or 0.41 percent at 11,032.92.

China Unicom, which reported a 38 percent profit jump to about $538 million Wednesday, was down 0.66 percent at HK$7.55. Rival China Mobile was up 2.74 percent to HK$24.35.

Bank leader HSBC was up 50 cents or half a percent to HK$90.00.

Property play Wheelock gained 1.65 percent to HK$6.15.