Shares in Tokyo rose by 1.2 per cent as players took their cue from the surge in US stocks at the end of last week. The Tokyo Stock Exchange's Nikkei-225 index gained 182.01 points to close at 15,512.32, recovering from Friday's close at 15,330.31, the index's lowest finish since March 9, 1999. "Strong sentiment in the US market is buoying Tokyo sentiment," said Masaaki Higashida, deputy head of investment information at Nomura Securities Co. Ltd. "US shares had been traded at very low levels for roughly a month but now they are showing signs of recovery," he said. "Maybe the US market is starting to digest the disappointing corporate results and look for new incentives," Higashida said. "That's taken as good news in the Tokyo market."

Although the Nikkei index surged a robust 357.86 points, or 2.3 per cent, in the morning session, its gains were capped during the afternoon session by quick profit-taking. Hong Kong: Share prices rose 2.0 per cent on a technical rebound boosted by gains on Wall Street at the end of last week.

However, sentiment remained cautious due to the tension in the Middle East and uncertainty about US corporate earnings, they said. The key Hang Seng index gained 292.90 points to close at 14,973.40 on turnover of 8.8 billion Hong Kong dollars (1.13 billion US). Steve Lo, dealing director at OSK Asia Brokerage, said the Hang Seng Index staged a technical rebound from last week's losses and got a further boost from Wall Street's gains on Friday. He said sentiment was cautious and turnover thin as investors remained unsettled by the Middle East crisis. Singapore: Shares closed 1.2 per cent higher, lifted by gains in blue chip stocks after sharp rises on Wall Street. The Straits Times Index gained 22.97 points to close at 1,883.37.

Worries over soaring oil prices cause by the tension in the Middle East have eased slightly, dealers said. Instead, investors preferred to focus on Wall Street's strong surge last Friday, they said. But big institutional investors, essential for a sustainable market rally, are still absent, said a dealer at a local brokerage. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian share prices ended 2.2 per cent higher in heavy trade, boosted by Wall Street's rise. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange composite index rose 16.14 points to finish at 766.18.

An institutional dealer with a local brokerage said volume had increased tremendously over the past three trading days, indicating broad-based participation from both retail and institutional investors. "Technical indicators are showing positive signals, suggesting that there could be further upside potential," he said.

Seoul: South Korean share prices rose 4.9 per cent on a technical rebound after last week's sharp falls with sentiment buoyed by the strong gains on Wall Street. The Korea Stock Exchange composite index closed up 25.50 points at 550.1. Volume was 336.8 million shares worth 2.3 trillion won (2.0 billion dollars). But the gains were limited by the continued selling of semiconductor stocks, including Hyundai Electronics, amid falling prices for dynamic random access memory chips. Hyundai Securities analyst Rhoo Yong-Seok said foreign and institutional investors led the selling. As long as blue chips such as Samsung Electronics remain weak, the index is unlikely to make significant gains, Rhoo said. Manila: Philippine share prices fell 2.2 per cent amid a deepening political crisis involving alleged bribes to President Joseph Estrada by illegal gambling bosses. The Philippine Stock Exchange composite index closed 28.63 points lower at 1,295.02, the lowest point since it closed at 1,250.41 points on October 8,1998.

"The seismic shock that we're feeling is really that of political problems," said Albert Chua of All Asia Asset Management. "It's still the same thing.

It's still because of the (gambling) scandal. It has not been resolved," added April Lee of Citisecurities Inc. Taipei: Taiwan share prices plunged 4.2 per cent as late selling wiped off earlier gains despite government support. The Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted price index lost 245.16 points to 5,630.95, on turnover of 94.68 billion Taiwan dollars (2.97 billion US).

Bangkok: Share prices rose 1.5 per cent following the strong rebound on the Nasdaq and in regional markets. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index rose 3.82 points to close at 258.08 and the SET 50 was up 0.33 points at 17.60.

Jakarta: Indonesian share prices closed up 0.9 per cent due to a rebound in regional markets. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index closed up 3.55 points at 411.750 on a volume of 1.50 billion shares worth 444.52 billion rupiah (169.32 million dollars).