Overnight, US stocks closed in the green reflecting positive reaction to M&A activity and better than expected economic data. The Dow Jones rose 165.22 points, or 0.94%, the S&P 500 gained 24.69 points, or 1.19%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 73.40 points, or 1.45%.
The Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday held the cash rate at 2% for the sixth month in a row, but left the door open to another cut if growth and inflation fail to pick up in the next few months. Striking a slightly less fixed tone about current settings, RBA governor Glenn Stevens said in his statement that "the outlook for inflation may afford scope for further easing of policy, should that be appropriate to lend support to demand". Central banks in China, Japan, Singapore and other Asian countries are also trying to support growth with accommodative monetary policy.
Among Asian bourses
Australia market rebounds 1.4%
The Australian share market record its first gain in seven sessions, as investors chased for bargain buying across the board on tracking rally on the Wall Street overnight and indication from the Reserve Bank of Australia to another cut if growth and inflation fail to pick up in the next few months. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index advanced 73.40 points, or 1.42%, to 5165.80 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index jumped 69.90 points, or 1.34%, to 5291.20 points.
Shares of energy companies were top gainers in the Sydney market. Oil and gas producer Santos extended gains by surging 4.4% to A$6.21, a day after announcing the sale of its Stag oil field to Malaysia's Sona Petroleum. Liquefied Natural soared 6.7% to A$1.52. WorleyParsons, which provides services to resources companies, rose 4.6% to A$6.77. Woodside Petroleum added 2.3% to A$30.27.
Financial stocks advanced, led by top four lenders. Westpac Banking Corp was up 2.3% to A$31.30. Commonwealth Bank of Australia grew 1.8% to A$76.46, ANZ Bank 1.6% to A$27, and National Australia Bank 1.6% to A$30.10.
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China market ends softer
The Mainland China stock market settled mild softer after moving between gains and losses in thin trading, amid concerns over a cooling economy and a continuing crackdown on risky trading. Investors were also cautious ahead of more details on Beijing's 13th-five year plan, a blue-print of policy priorities of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. The Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.25%, or 8.39 points, to close at 3316.70 points. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, declined 0.03%, or 0.50 point, to close at 1987.47. The ChiNext Index, which tracks China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, was down 0.11%, or 2.77 points, to close at 2429.27. Total volume of A shares traded in Shanghai was 19.2 billion shares, while Shenzhen volume was 22.4 billion shares.
China has arrested two executives from a Hong Kong-owned fund for irregular futures trades on Monday and was investigating the general manager of Shanghai-based company Zexi Investment for suspected insider trading.
The fifth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which wrapped up on Thursday, adopted a draft five-year plan to take effect from 2016. Expectations were high that the four-day meeting, known as the Fifth Plenum, would produce a statement on GDP targets after deliberation and debate, heeding the government's call to accept slower growth as the "new normal" for sustainable development and economic reform. Predictions of economists quoted by state media converged on a slower-growth target of 6.5%, following a steady decline from rates of 7.3% in 2014, 7% in the first half and 6.9% in the third quarter this year. China's growth target for 2015, at the end of the current five-year plan, was "about 7%."
Health-care shares and baby-related companies declined on profit booking following sharp recent rally after President Xi Jinping's government announced last week it would end a one-child policy in place for more than three decades. Lepu Medical Technology Beijing Co. slid 2.6%, trimming this year's gain to 60%. Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co. slumped 8.1%, paring a month-long rally to 28%
Shares of companies linked to Beijing's widening probe into market manipulation and suspected corruption were also down, with Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country's largest state-owned lenders, down 1%.
Rastar Group jumped by the 10% daily limit in Shenzhen after the toy company announced plans to buy a stake in a Spanish soccer team.
Hong Kong market gains 0.9%
Hong Kong stock market advanced as risk sentiments buoyed by tracking rally on the Wall Street overnight. But gains were limited amid jitters surrounding a crackdown on illegal futures trading in Beijing and ongoing anti-corruption investigations into companies such as Dongfeng Motor Group. The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced 198.39 points, or 0.89%, to 22568.43 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, benchmark measure of performance of mainland China enterprises, grew 43.09 points, or 0.42%, to 10283.42 points. Turnover reduced slightly to HK$64.6 billion from HK$67.4 billion on Monday.
Mobile game developers were higher as China officially announced the 13th 5-year-plan today, with a proposal of implementing internet+ action plan. Boyaa (00434) leaped 6.8% to HK$3.45. Kingdee (00268) and Netdragon (00777) rose 2.2% and 1.4% to HK$3.2 and HK$21.4. Tencent (00700) jumped 2% to HK$150.5 on report that it plans to invest US$1 billion in a new company, created by the merger of Meituan.com and Dianping Holdings.
Macau gaming stocks were also higher on bargain hunting after days of selling. Galaxy Ent (00027) soared 4% to HK$27.35. Sands China (01928) shot up 3.8% to HK$28.95.
Financial stocks were mostly weak as the Central Inspection Team raided financial sector, with a number of senior executives being taken away for assisting investigations. Dongfeng Motor's (00489) President Zhu Fushou and ABC's (01288) president Zhang Yun were reportedly under probe. But Dongfeng Motor soared 4.2% to HK$11.5, while ABC nudged up 0.7% to HK$3.12. StanChart (02888) slid 2.9% to HK$82.65 after it reported a 3Q loss and proposed rights issue. HSBC (00005) edged up 0.3% to HK$60.5. BOCHK (02388) put on 2.2% to HK$25.1. BEA (00023) gained 1.8% to HK$28.9.
Hong Kong's value of total retail sales in September, provisionally estimated at HK$35.2 billion, dropped 6.4% compared with the same month in 2014, according to the Census and Statistics Department. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in August fell 5.3% compared with a year earlier. For the first nine months of 2015 taken together, the value of total retail sales declined 2.7% compared with the same period in 2014. After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales in September shrank 3.1% from a year earlier. The revised estimate of the volume of total retail sales in August edged down by 0.1% from a year earlier. For the first nine months of 2015 taken together, total retail sales increased by 1% in volume over the same period in 2014.
Indian markets snaps 6-day losing streak
Indian stock market ended marginally higher after swinging between gains and losses, as concerns about earnings continued to weigh, although higher Asian shares supported sentiment. Sensex closed 31.44 points up at 26,590.59 and snapped its 6-day losing streak. Similarly, Nifty closed 9.90 points up 8,060.70.
Hero MotoCorp gained 1.21% after total sales rose 11.25% to 6.39 lakh units in October 2015 over October 2014. It was its record monthly sales. The market share of the company in domestic scooter market surged to reach almost 20% at the end of October 2015 from 13% in September 2015.
Berger Paints India rose 2.99% after consolidated net profit rose 32.7% to Rs 88.96 crore on 5.7% growth in net sales plus other operating income to Rs 1167.31 crore in Q2 September 2015 over Q2 September 2014. The result was announced during market hours today, 3 November 2015.
Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region: Taiwan's Taiex index rose 1.1% to 873.19. South Korea's KOPSI added 0.7% to 2048.40. Singapore's Straits Times index gained 0.9% at 2999.56. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite index rose 1.5% to 4533. Malaysia's KLCI gained 0.8% to 1677.56. New Zealand's NZX50 grew 0.6% to 6022. Japan market closed for the Culture Day holiday.
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