Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

[marafado]

Asian Stocks Rise on U.S. Jobs Report; Nintendo, Samsung Gain
Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose, led by exporters such as Nintendo Co. and Samsung Electronics Co., after a U.S. employment report eased concern the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at a faster pace.

``The concerns regarding rate hikes by the Fed have abated, and that's triggering some buying of stocks,'' said Youichi Yanai, who oversees the equivalent of $28 billion as chief fund manager at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. in Tokyo.

Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average added 1 percent at 12:34 p.m. in Tokyo, set for its biggest gain since Dec. 24. South Korea's Kospi index climbed 1.2 percent and was headed for its highest close in five years.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index, which tracks more than 900 companies, rose 0.3 percent to 100.48. Benchmarks in all other major markets opened for trading advanced, except for Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index.

U.S. employers added 146,000 workers last month, the Labor Department said on Feb. 4, less than the median economist estimate for an increase of 200,000 in a Bloomberg News survey.

The Fed last week restated its intention to boost its overnight bank-lending rate at a ``measured'' pace. The central bank, whose policy-makers next meet March 22, has made six quarter-point rate increases since June. Higher interest rates raise borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 1.3 percent, paced by HSBC Holdings Plc. Markets in Taiwan and China are closed for Lunar New Year celebrations.

Thai stocks advanced after incumbent Thaksin Shinawatra looked set to win outright control of the legislature, raising optimism about spending plans and government asset sales.

`Positive Impact'

Nintendo, the world's biggest maker of hand-held game machines, rose 3.9 percent to 11,840 yen. The Japanese company relies on exports for more two-thirds of its profit. Sony, which gets a third of its sales from the U.S., added 1.6 percent to 3,850 yen.

Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest consumer electronics maker, gained 2.1 percent to 506,000 won. Exports account for about two-fifths of the nation's economy.

``U.S. jobless numbers are having a positive impact on Korean exporters,'' said Yang Jun Won, who helps manage $378 million at Macquarie-IMM Investment Management Co. in Seoul. ``I'm not concerned about accelerating U.S. rates right now.''

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., Singapore's biggest maker of chips, climbed 2 percent to S$1.02. Australia's James Hardie Industries NV, the biggest supplier of home siding in the U.S., advanced 0.9 percent to A$6.77.

HSBC jumped 1.6 percent to HK$130.50. The London-based lender, which represents a third of the Hang Seng Index, makes more than a third of its revenue in the U.S.

Thailand

Thailand's benchmark SET index rose 0.6 percent. Thaksin may have gathered enough power in Sunday's general election to push through sales such as Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the nation's biggest power producer.

``Such a strong mandate will give him power to fast-track privatization, telecom reforms, and spend buckets of money on building new roads,'' said Vikas Kawatra, head of institutional broking at Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) Pcl, the country's biggest broker. It's ``very positive for his own stocks, contractors and domestic economy stories.''

Advanced Info Service Pcl, Thailand's biggest mobile-phone operator which is controlled by Thaksin's family, rose 1.8 percent to 114 baht. Shin Corp., the holding company for Thaksin's companies, gained 1.7 percent to 46.25 baht.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index headed for its sixth record high in as many sessions. Telstra Corp. gained after Citigroup Inc. said sales growth at the nation's biggest phone company will be better than many investors expected.

Telstra added 1.2 percent to A$5.16. Citigroup forecast first-half sales of A$10.9 billion ($8.4 billion), 4.3 percent higher than a year ago, driven by mobile telephone sales. Tim Smeallie, Phil Campbell and Kar Yue Yeo, analysts at Citigroup, maintained their ``buy'' rating and 12-month share price forecast of A$5.30.



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Michael Tsang in Tokyo at mtsang1@bloomberg.net.

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