Asia surges on U.S. data
(CNN) -- Asian stocks closed sharply higher Monday, building on a firm finish for Wall Street, strong U.S. jobs growth and expectations of better corporate earnings.
The Nikkei 225 average posted its biggest one-day gain since December, jumping 311 points or 2.8 percent to finish at 11,439.92.
The broader Topix index put on 2.37 percent to close at 1151.67.
The biggest gains were for the markets in South Korea and Taiwan, which both rose 3.68 percent on strength among techs and exporters such as carmakers.
Hong Kong is about 2.6 percent higher and Singapore is about 1.4 percent ahead near the close.
Australia also showed solid gains, with the S&P/ASX200 up by about a third of a percent.
In Tokyo, the market's star performer was major bank UFJ, up almost 7 percent to 552,000 yen after it tumbled last week on negative sentiment. Other big banks also did well, with gains of 5 percent-plus for MTFG and SMFG. Mizuho rose 4.5 percent to 469,000 yen.
Consumer electronics leader Sony closed 2.78 percent higher to 4060 yen, tech bellwether Tokyo Electron jumped 5 percent to 6270 yen and market heavyweight NTT DoCoMo put on 3 percent to 204,000 yen.
In the auto sector, Toyota was up 2.2 percent to 4150 yen and Nissan finished 3.9 percent higher to 1167 yen.
South Korea higher
In Seoul, the Kospi jumped 3.68 percent to finish at 809.45. Leading exporter Hyundai Motor posted strong gains, putting on 6.4 percent to 45,500 won. The market's biggest stock, Samsung Electronics, finished 3.1 percent higher to 496,000 won.
Taiwan's Taiex also had a gain of 3.68 percent to close at 5935.82. Market heavyweight TSMC put on 3.8 percent to T$55.00. Rival chip foundry UMC jumped 4.6 percent to T$27.00.
 |  South Korean exporter Hyundai Motor jumped 6.4 percent. |
In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 rose 0.47 percent to 3484.0. Resources leaders BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto ended firmly in the black, with gains of around 1 percent.
Insurer and funds manager AMP rose 2.1 percent and discount airline Virgin Blue recovered from last week's record low with a gain of 2.5 percent to A$2.05.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index is up 2.6 percent to 12,335.67. Conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa is 3.9 percent higher to HK$53.00.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index is 1.45 percent higher to 1817.35. Singapore Airlines is up 1 percent to S$10.30.
Despite the strong opening in Asia Monday, analysts say market moves are likely to be muted this week as investors await the outcome of the Group of Eight meeting which starts in the United States from Tuesday. (Full story)
Also weighing on markets are potential oil price moves and prospects for higher U.S. interest rates.
Last Thursday OPEC agreed to raise crude output by two million barrels per day from July 1 and a further 500,000 bpd starting in August. (Full story)
