ASIA MARKETS: Resource, Technology Shares Spur Rally

By V. Phani Kumar

Asian stock markets advanced early Thursday, with technology shares such as Kyocera Corp. and Hynix Semiconductor among gainers after Wall Street stretched a rally into a fourth straight session, while resource stocks jumped on a sharp rise in crude-oil prices.

The Nikkei 225 Average jumped 2.1% to 8,388.01 and the broader Topix index added 1.7% to 831.24.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 2.6% to 3,630.40 and New Zealand's NZX 50 index gained 1% to 2,665.13, while South Korea's Kospi climbed 2.1% to 1,051.37.

Technology shares advanced on hefty gains on Nasdaq overnight, with Kyocera ( KYO) jumping 4.3% and Toshiba Corp. rising 3.6% in Tokyo.

In Seoul, shares of Hynix (HXSCF) surged 7.9% and Samsung Electronics Co. ( SSNLF) added 2.5%.

On Wall Street, the Nasdaq Composite rose 4.6% to 1,532.10 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 2.9% at 8,726.61, while the S&P 500 index added 3.5% to 887.68.

LATIN AMERICAN MARKETS: Telecoms Help Lead Brazil Higher; Argentina Shares Rise

By Carla Mozee

Brazil's equity index climbed Wednesday, with telecom stocks gaining on speculation of a deal involving a key mobile-phone company.

In Brazil, the Bovespa index finished 4.8% higher, to 36,469.61.

Shares of Tim Participacoes (TSU) jumped after Il Sole 24 Ore, an Italian financial newspaper, reported that Telecom Italia (TI) is mulling the sale of its Brazilian wireless services unit.

The shares soared 18%, leading overall advancers.

Shares of rival Vivo Participacoes (VIV) rose 3.4%. Telesp (TSP) rose 3.8%, Oi (TNE) picked up 0.9% and Brasil Telecom Participacoes (BRP) reversed losses to end 7.2% higher.

Meanwhile, Dow Jones Newswires, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Telecom Italia won't put Tim Participacoes up for sale as it considers the company a core asset.

ASIA MARKETS: Shanghai, Hong Kong Rally On China Rate Cut

By V. Phani Kumar

Asian markets advanced Thursday, with Shanghai- and Hong Kong-listed shares pacing gains a day after the Chinese central slashed interest rates.

Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese shares also posted strong gains, with technology stocks such as Elpida Memory and Hynix Semiconductor among gainers after Wall Street stretched a rally into a fourth straight session. Resource stocks jumped in Australia on a sharp overnight rise in crude-oil prices.

Indian markets were closed for the day in the wake of synchronized terrorist attacks overnight in nine or more locations in the financial capital Mumbai, which left at least 87 people dead and 250 wounded.

China's Shanghai Composite jumped 4% to 1,972.82, after the People's Bank of China Tuesday slashed its lending and deposit rates by as much as 1.08%, in addition to cutting banks' reserve requirements sharply, in the central bank's strongest response yet to a recent slowdown in economic growth.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained 3.9% to 13,893.73, while the Hang Seng China Ente