HONG KONG, Feb 19: Most Asian markets rose on Thursday as a weaker yen eased concerns over Japanese corporate earnings, despite investor caution elsewhere driven by doubts hanging over US and European economic outlooks.

Markets were tentative after a volatile session on Wall Street where the mood seesawed between hope over federal aid for struggling homeowners, and gloom over the worsening economy, analysts said.

There seems to be no sign that the pace of deterioration in the US economy is slowing, Tokai Tokyo Research Center senior strategist Toshio Sumitani told Dow Jones Newswires.

Japanese share prices nevertheless rebounded 0.31 per cent Thursday from a more than three-month low as a weaker yen eased worries about exports and weak corporate earnings.

TOKYO: Up 0.31 per cent. The benchmark Nikkei-225 index gained 23.21 points, to end at 7,557.65, a day after finishing at the lowest level since since October 27.

Exporters gained after the dollar briefly rose to a six-week high against the yen, which has seen its “safe-haven” status dwindle in the face of mounting concerns about the woes of the Japanese economy.

Toyota Motor gained 2.0 percent to 3,120 yen while Honda Motor edged up 1.8 percent to 2,290 yen.

HONG KONG: Up 0.1 per cent. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended 7.36 points higher at 13,023.36.

Analysts warned the worst was not over for the stock market, as uncertainties clouding the US economic outlook continue to discourage risk-averse investors from returning to accumulating shares.

The recent weak economic data from the US tells us that there’s still no light at the end of the tunnel, said Peter Lai, a director at DBS Vickers.

SYDNEY: Up 1.1 per cent. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lifted 35.7 points to 3,448.9. Resources stocks led the charge, with energy company Santos adding 1.3 per cent to 14.41.

Rio Tinto added 2.4 per cent to 51.78, while rival BHP Billiton eased 0.5 per cent to 30.16. Woodside Petroleum added 0.1 per cent to 33.52.

Financial stocks were also stronger, with the four major banks advancing.

SINGAPORE: Down 1.31 per cent. The blue-chip Straits Times Index dropped 21.71 points to 1,629.35.

Banking shares closed mixed. DBS edged up five cents to 8.15 while Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp eased six cents to 4.83 and United Overseas Bank fell 28 cents to 10.52.

CapitaLand fell 55 cents to 2.13, City Developments shed 20 cents to 5.17 and Keppel Land closed two cents lower at 1.36.

Singapore Telecommunications dropped five cents to 2.42 and Singapore Airlines shed eight cents to 10.14.

KUALA LUMPUR: Up 0.5 per cent. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index gained 4.36 points to close at 899.59.

JAKARTA: Down 0.5 per cent. The Jakarta Composite Index lost 6.92 points to 1,323.69 in thin volume.

Telco Indosat sank 15 per cent to 4,700 rupiah and nickel miner Inco tumbled 3.4 per cent to 2,125.

Bank Danamon gained eight percent to 2,700 rupiah.

MUMBAI: Up 0.3 per cent. The benchmark 30-share Sensex index rose 27.45 points to 9,042.63, snapping three days of losses.

The market rose on hopes of an interest rate cut from India’s central bank and positive US index futures trends, dealers said.

WELLINGTON: Down 0.16 per cent. The benchmark NZX-50 index was down 4.08 points at 2,616.93.—AFP