Asian stocks outside Japan gained, with the regional benchmark gauge rallying for a sixth day, after data showed the U.S. economic recovery gaining momentum and China’s central bank moved to ease a cash crunch.

Nikkei 225 15,889.33 +18.91 +0.12%

S&P/ASX 200 5,327.25 +35.30 +0.67%

Shanghai Composite 2,092.91 +3.20 +0.15%

Techtronic Industries Co., a power-tool maker that gets 73 percent of sales from North America, climbed 3.4 percent in Hong Kong after U.S. consumer spending rose.

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., the nation’s third-biggest lender, gained 1.3 percent.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average pared gains to 0.1 percent after touching 16,000 for the first time in six years.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. jumped 4.3 percent after the Japanese carmaker raised its operating-profit forecast.