Chinese shares climbed as a bigger-than-estimated drop in a private manufacturing gauge spurred stimulus speculation. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.9 percent as the final April Purchasing Managers' Index from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics fell to 48.9, the lowest in a year. Gold climbed 0.4 percent. U.S. oil was little changed.

HANG SENG 28,154.46 +21.46 +0.08%

S&P/ASX 200 5,827.5 +13.10 +0.23%

TOPIX Closed

SHANGHAI COMP 4,473.99 +32.33 +0.73%