Most Asian markets rose Monday as optimism about the U.S. economy and rising energy shares underpinned broad regional gains, with Japanese shares climbing for a fifth straight trading day on the back of banks and industrial robot maker Fanuc Corp. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:100000018) +0.19% rose 0.1% to 10,141.99, its highest finish since the March 11 earthquake and nuclear disasters. South Korea's Kospi KR:0100 +0.62% rose 0.6% to 2,047, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index AU:XJO +0.34% added 0.3% to 4,290.80 and Taiwan's Taiex fell 0.1% to 8,043.92. China's Shanghai Composite (CN:000001) +0.23% finished 0.2% higher at 2,410.18 after a choppy trading session, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index HK:HSI -0.95% fell 1% to 21,115.29 as investors locked in profits after recent gains. Stock movements were restricted across the region, with Peter Lai, director at DBS Vickers in Hong Kong, saying the absence of firm catalysts subdued investor mood. “The market is listless ... unless there is some exceptional good news, markets will continue to trade in a lackluster [manner]," Lai said. Lai said the Shanghai Composite was consolidating after recent strength, with investors likely to stick close to the sidelines ahead of Chinese inflation and manufacturing figures due out in coming weeks. The day's broad gains came even although U.S. shares broadly finished lower Friday following a soft consumer sentiment reading, as analysts remained upbeat about the country's growth prospects. “The underlying momentum to the U.S. economy remains resilient despite data taking a more mixed tone," strategists at Barclays Capital said. In Tokyo, such optimism helped lift shares of Fanuc Corp. (FANUY) +0.20% (JP:6954) +1.97% 2%, while machinery maker Komatsu Ltd. (KMTUF) +2.09% (JP:6301) +2.91% gained 2.9%. Commodity trading house Marubeni Corp. (JP0:8002) +2.40% (MARUY) +0.93% climbed 2.4% after the Nikkei newspaper reported Monday it planned to buy a 50% stake in a U.K. wind power engineering firm. Banks also advanced, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (MTU) -0.10% (JP:8306) +1.37% rising 1.4% and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MFG) -0.19% (JP:8411) +2.13% adding 2.1%. The gains came after Moody's Investors Service said earlier in the day that the Bank of Japan's plan to provide dollar funding to high-growth enterprises was positive for lenders' creditworthiness. Energy sector stocks gained as Nymex crude-oil prices stayed above the $107 a barrel level for most of the Asian stock trading day. JX Holdings Inc. (JP:5020) +1.52% added 1.5% and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co.(JP:1662) +0.38% rose 0.4% in Tokyo. Cnooc Ltd. (HK:883) +0.12% CEO -0.26% climbed 0.1%, though it ended well off its lows in a downbeat Hong Kong market, while Santos Ltd.(AU:STO) +0.48% (STOSF) +1.85% added 0.5% in Sydney. In Hong Kong, shares of China Molybdenum Co. CMCLF +7.78% (HK:3993) +4.42% gained 4.4% after the minerals producer announced plans to launch an initial public offering in Shanghai. Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. ACH +1.34% (HK:2600) -4.19% tumbled 4.2% in Hong Kong after reporting a steep fall in its 2011 profits. Property firms on mainland bourses were pressured after government data released Sunday showed the average property prices fell in February for a fifth straight month. Shares in Poly Real Estate Group Co. (CN:600048) -0.83% fell 0.8%, Gemdale Corp.(CN:600383) -0.52% eased 0.5% and China Vanke Co. (CVKEY) 0.00% lost 0.6%.
