Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index heading for its fourth straight daily gain, as consumer shares led advances. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks in Chicago today as investors await payrolls data due later in the week to assess the outlook for U.S. interest rates.

Nikkei 225 14,827.83 +131.80 +0.90%

S&P/ASX 200 5,394.8 +27.86 +0.52%

Shanghai Composite 2,036.48 -5.24 -0.26%

Eclat Textile Co., which sells fabrics and garments, rose 7 percent in Taiwan, the most among the MSCI Asia Pacific Index group tracking consumer discretionary shares.

Samsung SDI Co., a South Korean supplier of batteries to Apple Inc., jumped 8 percent, after it agreed to buy Cheil Industries Inc.

Mazda Motor Corp., a Japanese automaker that gets about 30 percent of its revenue in North America, gained 4.1 percent.