21.02.201405:37:43UTC+00Asian shares gain as US manufacturing gauge ascends

Asian shares gained as the regional benchmark index rallied from its largest drop in two weeks, following a larger climb in US manufacturing gauge tempered fears about global growth.

BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), the biggest mining company worldwide, proliferated 1.5% as raw-materials companies topped the regional advance. Samsung Electronics Co., which will reveal a high-end Galaxy phone next week, ascended 2.4% in Seoul. Toyota Motor Corp. escalated 1.5% despite a rebound in Japanese shares as the yen impaired versus the dollar. National Australia Bank Ltd. missed 2.1% after the country's largest lender by assets listed slower profit growth.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index profited 0.9% to 137.03 as of 9:20 a.m. in Tokyo, before Hong Kong and China markets open. The gauge dived 0.9% yesterday as a preliminary reading for a China purchasing managers’ index dropped to a seven-month low. A US bounced more than expected, as shown in a separate report yesterday.

Japan’s Topix index today increased 1.7%. Minutes from the Bank of Japan’s January 22 policy meeting exhibited some participants said the BOJ should provide a clearer explanation an anticipated plunge in 2nd quarter domestic growth was considered into its outcome.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi index progressed 1.1%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index incurred 0.7%, and New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index went up 0.5%. The S&P 500 futures were slightly changed. The gauge yesterday accrued 0.6% following the manufacturing figures and as Facebook Inc.’s $19 billion purchase of messaging service WhatsApp Inc. ignited positivity about deals.