Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index heading for its fifth day of advance, before the release of U.S. data this week that’s expected to show further signs of stabilization in the housing market.
Nikkei 225 10,141.99 +12.16 +0.12%
Hang Seng 21,115.29 -202.56 -0.95%
S&P/ASX 200 4,290.8 +14.64 +0.34%
Shanghai Composite 2,410.18 +5.45 +0.23%
Samsung Electronics Co., Asia’s No. 1 consumer-electronics maker, climbed 1.8 percent in Seoul.
Cnooc Ltd., China’s biggest offshore oil producer, gained 2.2 percent in Hong Kong as crude traded near a one-week high.
Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., the country’s largest producer of the metal, sank 3.7 percent after saying it may be unprofitable in the first quarter after posting a wider-than-expected loss in the second half of 2011.