Asian stocks rise for second day on optimism

Asian stocks (MXAP) rose for a second day after U.S. manufacturing increased at the fastest pace in six months. Gold climbed for a fourth day, while the dollar was little changed after falling the most in a month yesterday.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index advanced 1 percent as of 9:26 a.m. inTokyo. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures gained less than 0.1 percent after the U.S. equity benchmark closed at a two-month high. Gold for immediate delivery rose 0.2 percent to $1,606.15 an ounce. The dollar held at $1.3052 per euro following a yesterday’s 0.9 percent drop.

The Institute for Supply Management’s report on U.S. manufacturing yesterday added to data showing stronger factory activity in China, the U.K., India and Australia. Bookings (TMNOCHNG) for U.S. factory goods probably climbed 2 percent in November, the most in four months, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists taken before the report is released today.

“The U.S. has had a lot of good numbers coming out,” said Nick Sargen, chief investment officer at Fort Washington Investment Advisors in Cincinnati, in a Bloomberg Television interview. The firm oversees more than $39 billion. “As I look through all the indicators, there was an improvement on a global basis as well, that’s the encouraging development.”

Stock markets in Japan and China begin trading today for the first time in 2012. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 increased 2.2 percent after the Standard & Poor’s GSCI Spot Index of 24 commodities rose 3.4 percent yesterday, the most since May 9. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average (NKY) climbed 1.3 percent.

The ISM’s manufacturing index rose to 53.9 in December from 52.7 a month before. A reading of 50 signals growth. Economists in a survey estimated a median reading of 53.5. Construction spending climbed 1.2 percent in November, Commerce Department data showed.

(source: Bloomberg)

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