Asian stocks gained for a fifth day after European finance ministers cut borrowing costs for Greece and gave the indebted nation more time to repay rescue loans. Shares also rose after profit growth at Chinese industrial companies accelerated last month.
Nikkei 225 9,423.3 +34.36 +0.37%
S&P/ASX 200 4,456.83 +32.64 +0.74%
Shanghai Composite 1,991.17 -26.30 -1.30%
CSL Ltd., Australia’s biggest drugmaker, surged 6.9 percent in Sydney to a record after saying it expects profit growth of about 20 percent.
BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, paced gains among raw-material companies as copper prices rose.
China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd. advanced 1.1 percent in Hong Kong.