Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index poised to advance for a fourth week, after U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly dropped and Japan’s upper house confirmed Haruhiko Kuroda as central bank governor.

Nikkei 225 12,560.95 +179.76 +1.45%

Hang Seng 22,533.11 -86.07 -0.38%

S&P/ASX 200 5,120.24 +88.02 +1.75%

Shanghai Composite 2,278.4 +8.12 +0.36%

Honda Motor Co., a Japanese carmaker that gets 44 percent of sales from North America, gained 2.6 percent.

Sony Corp. surged 11 percent in Tokyo after Daiwa Securities Group Inc. recommended buying shares of the consumer electronics maker.

China Southern Airlines Co. advanced 4.4 percent to pace gains among Chinese carriers after Shanghai Securities News reported plans to build more airports as demand grows in the world’s second-largest economy.

European (SXXP) stocks declined from a 4 1/2-year high, as European Union leaders eased constraints on national budgets amid a deepening euro-area recession, while confidence among American consumers unexpectedly slid in March.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.4 percent to 297.46 at the close of trading. The gauge added 0.7 percent this week, for a fourth straight weekly advance, its longest winning streak since December.

National benchmark indexes fell in all of the western European markets except Switzerland.

FTSE 100 6,489.65 -39.76 -0.61% CAC 40 3,844.03 -27.55 -0.71% DAX 8,042.85 -15.52 -0.19%

In the U.S., the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index for March fell to 71.8 from 77.6 in February. The gauge was projected to increase to 78, according to the median estimate of economists.

Volkswagen’s preferred shares declined 2.6 percent to 160.30 euros. Waddell & Reed sold 914 million euros ($1.19 billion) of the stocks, after they touched a four-month low yesterday on the carmaker’s 2013 outlook. The 5.78 million shares were sold for 158 euros each, a 4 percent discount to yesterday’s close, Deutsche Bank AG said.

Vivendi (VIV) lost 3.3 percent to 16.10 euros. The company halted the planned sale of GVT after failing to get a satisfactory bid for the division, which had been valued at 5.2 billion euros.

Ingenico, a French provider of payment terminals and services, declined 2.9 percent to 44.64 euros. Safran’s Morpho will sell 6.6 million Ingenico shares, or a 12.57 percent stake, in a private placement, while retaining a 10.2 percent stake.

Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna Scarl jumped 10 percent to 6.01 euros. Exane BNP Paribas raised its target price for the shares by 5 percent to 8.30 euros, citing the benefits of the bank’s funding structure, which is based on retail deposits.

Major stock indexes rose to session lows, but still finished trading in the red. For the week DOW index rose 0,74%, Nasdaq rose 0,09%, S & P500 gained 0.55%.

U.S. stocks fell, after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index moved within two points of its record high yesterday, as a report showed consumer confidence unexpectedly fell in March.

Equities declined today as the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index for March fell to 71.8 from 77.6 in February. The gauge was projected to increase to 78, according to the median estimate of 67 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

Industrial production rose more than forecast in February as U.S. factories turned out more business equipment and motor vehicles. Output at factories, mines and utilities climbed 0.7 percent, exceeding the median projection in a Bloomberg survey, figures from the Federal Reserve showed today in Washington. Separate data showed manufacturing in the New York region expanded for a second month in March and industry managers grew more optimistic about the future.

Most components of DOW index closed in minus. Shares of Bank of America Corporation (BAC, +4.00%) advanced more than other components. Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM, -1.98%) fell more than other components

Most sectors of the S&P closed in minus. Most fell showed technology sector (-0.5%). Most growts showed financial sector (+0.9%).

At the close:

Dow -23.19 14,515.95 -0.16%

Nasdaq -9.86 3,249.07 -0.30%