Asian Stocks Rise a Fourth Day as Raw-Material Shares Lead Gains

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Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark heading for its fourth straight daily gain, as raw-material and consumer shares led advances.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.5 percent to 137.38 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo. Japan™s Topix index added 0.9 percent as the yen held last week™s losses versus the dollar and even as data showed industrial production unexpectedly fell 2.3 percent in February from January. A three percentage-point sales-tax increase takes effect in Japan tomorrow.

The regional benchmark index lost 0.8 percent this month and 3.3 percent this year through last week with gauges in Japan and Hong Kong declining the most among developed markets.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks in Chicago today as investors await payrolls data due later in the week to assess the outlook for U.S. interest rates.

South Korea™s Kospi index added 0.4 percent as North Korea said it may conduct a œnew form of nuclear test if the U.S. challenges its efforts to enhance deterrence through military drills.

Australia™s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.7 percent, while New Zealand™s NZX 50 Index slid 0.2 percent. Markets in Hong Kong and China are yet to open.

Futures on the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index rose 0.4 percent today. The measure gained 0.5 percent on March 28 as consumer shares rebounded amid data showing household purchases rose in February by the most in three months.

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Japan Index Futures Signal Gains as Aussie Stocks Climb

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Japanese and U.S. index futures climbed with Australian shares as the yen maintained declines versus major peers. Crude oil fell from a three-week high.

Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures in the Osaka pre-market were bid 0.7 percent above their March 28 close in Japan, while contracts on the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index added 0.4 percent after the gauge snapped a two-day drop at the end of last week.

Australia™s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.7 percent by 10:55 a.m. in Sydney.

The yen was steady after falling at least 0.6 percent versus the dollar and euro March 28, while Turkey™s lira climbed after local elections. Crude in New York dropped 0.2 percent.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is set for its second loss in four quarters with gauges in Japan and Hong Kong declining the most among developed markets.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks in Chicago today as investors await payrolls data due later in the week to assess the outlook for U.S. interest rates.

Japan posted an unexpected drop in industrial output from January, before data on Chinese manufacturing due tomorrow.

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U.S. Stocks Rise, Led by Consumers as Biotech Weighs on Nasdaq

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U.S. stocks climbed after a two-day slide, as consumer shares rebounded amid data showing household purchases rose the most in three months. Biotechnology shares extended losses, weighing on the Nasdaq Composite Index.

The Standard & Poor™s 500 Index added 0.5 percent to 1,857.55 at 4 p.m. in New York, paring an earlier gain of as much as 1 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 58.22 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,322.45.

The afternoon slump left the S&P 500 0.1 percent lower for the month. It is still 0.5 percent higher this quarter.

Investors have been selling the bull market™s biggest winners, locking in gains as they assess how much of the recent economic weakness is weather-related and if the situation in Ukraine will worsen.

The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index slumped 2.8 percent today, pushing its loss this week to 7 percent, while the Russell 2000 Index fell 3.5 percent in the past five days.

Consumer-discretionary shares rallied 0.8 today as data showed household spending in the U.S. rose in February by the most in three months as incomes increased.

Americans were shaking off the effects of the coldest winter in four years as they ventured out to shop, supported by a job market that™s also picking up speed.

Separate data indicated consumer confidence fell less than previously estimated in March.

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European Stocks Rise as Euro-Area Confidence Data Beat Forecasts

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European stocks advanced, extending a weekly gain, as a measure of euro-area economic confidence rose in March more than forecast and Italian banks rallied following a government-debt sale.

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA added 3.5 percent as it forecast dividend payouts of about 10 billion euros ($13.7 billion) through 2017. Pirelli & C. SpA increased 3.2 percent after reporting 2013 earnings that surpassed analysts™ predictions. Resolution Ltd. and Aviva Plc led insurers lower after the U.K. financial regulator said it plans to conduct an inquiry into possibly unfair charges levied on life-insurance policies.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.7 percent to 333.76 at the close of trading, extending this week™s advance to 1.8 percent. The benchmark gauge has still dropped 1.3 percent so far in March amid tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine™s Crimea region.

A gauge of economic confidence in the euro area rose to 102.4 in March from 101.2 a month earlier, beating analyst forecasts for a rise to 101.4. Separate data showed a measure of the region™s industrial confidence stood at minus 3.3 this month, compared with estimates for minus 3.5. In the U.S., consumer spending rose by the most in three months in February, as incomes increased.

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U.S. Stocks Rise as Tech, Consumer Shares Rally on Spending Data

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U.S. stocks climbed after a two-day slide, as technology and consumer shares rebounded and data showed household purchases rose the most in three months.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. rallied 6 percent after Morgan Stanley raised its recommendation on the stock. H&R Block Inc. and GameStop Corp. climbed at least 5.3 percent, leading gains among consumer shares. PG&E Corp. fell 2.7 percent after saying it expects to face criminal charges for the 2010 explosion of one of its natural gas pipelines that killed eight people.

The Standard & Poor™s 500 Index added 0.8 percent to 1,863.37 at 12:50 p.m. in New York, paring its weekly drop to 0.2 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 117.21 points, or 0.7 percent, to 16,381.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index rallied 0.8 percent, trimming its loss this week to 2.2 percent.

The S&P 500 fell for the fourth time in five days yesterday, as banks and technology companies declined. Today™s rally has erased the gauge™s loss in March. It is 0.8 percent higher this quarter.

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