July 29, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1424

TOKYO, July 28: Asian share prices rose on Monday, boosted by hi-tech stocks after positive first quarter earnings results from Advantest that lead to gains on Wall Street.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Nikkei 225 index closed up 191.90 points or 1.99 per cent at 9,839.91, just off its high of 9,846.19. The Topix index of all first-section shares closed rose 14.41 points to 959.69.

Microchip testing equipment manufacturer Advantest said after trading ended on Friday that it posted a net profit of 143 million yen in the three months to June, and it expected to post a three billion yen profit for the year to March.

“The result by Advantest clearly helped ease concerns over the forthcoming result of closely-watched Tokyo Electron and other hi-techs,” said Tsuyoshi Segawa, equity strategist at Shinko Securities.

Advantest ended up 240 yen, or 3.76 per cent at 6,630 and Tokyo Electron gained 120 to 7,380.

Hi-techs were broadly higher, with Rohm rising 320 to 15,000, Nikon up 19 at 1,120 and Canon 40 higher at 5,620.

HONG KONG: Share prices in Hong Kong closed 1.97 per cent higher on futures-related buying ahead of the expiry of the July contract and strong gains on Wall Street. The key Hang Seng index gained 195.68 points to close at 10,134.88.

SINGAPORE: Share prices in Singapore closed 1.29 per cent higher on bargain-hunting in blue chips and hopes the economy will recover in the second half of the year.

The Straits Times Index rose 20.23 points to close at 1,587.16, off a high of 1,595.59, and the broader All-Singapore Equities index was up 6.26 points at 426.15.

Earlier, the Economic Development Board said June manufacturing output had contracted a wider-than-expected 7.3 per cent year-on-year, but economists believe the decline may signal that the economy may be coming off a bottom.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices closed 0.32 per cent lower in dull trade amid a general lack of interest and an absence of fresh leads.

The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange composite fell 2.29 points to finish at 708.24.

An institutional dealer with a local brokerage said the market was lacklustre “with very little interest because there is not much news.”

MUMBAI: Indian shares closed 0.36 per cent higher on continued buying by foreign funds and traders in select tech counters and other sectoral stocks.

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share index rose 13.30 points to close at 3,739.76.

BANGKOK: The Thai stock market eased 0.90 per cent, with selling in large-cap building and energy stocks from both local and foreign institutional investors.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index lost 4.38 points to 480.48 while the blue chip SET 50 index fell 0.44 points to 30.89.

JAKARTA: Indonesian shares closed 0.53 per cent higher with late bargain-hunting in blue chips lifting the index.

The Jakarta Stock Exchange composite index ended up 2.711 points at 512.794.

Trimegah Securities head of sales Imelda Kwan said in general the market lacked fresh news to guide the index move.

She said regardless of the higher close, investors seemed to be uncomfortable with market direction. “The index move is so unconvincing.”

SHANGHAI: Chinese shares closed 0.49 per cent lower amid weak sentiment on liquidity concerns, extending further losses after breaking a key support level at 1,480 points on the Shanghai composite index last Friday.—AFP