"June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Stocks rose for a second day amid speculation China will add to economic stimulus. Natural gas climbed to a five-month high, while corn snapped a three-day rally that drove prices up 13 percent.
The MSCI All-Country World Index advanced 0.4 percent as of 8:30 a.m. in London, adding to yesterday’s 0.2 percent gain. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 0.4 percent. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures were little changed. Natural-gas futures gained 1.1 percent, rising for a fifth day in New York. Corn slid 0.5 percent after surging the previous three days amid dry weather that curbed U.S. production.
The China Securities Journal said the country may introduce “more proactive” policies to ensure stable growth in the world’s second-largest economy, while the Xinhua News Agency said China plans to boost Hong Kong’s integration with mainland financial markets. Italy today is scheduled to auction 9 billion euros ($11 billion) of 185-day bills on the eve of Europe’s 19th summit to tackle the debt crisis.
“Most people think nothing has happened over the last 18 summits, so what can you expect from the 19th,” said Khiem Do, the Hong Kong-based head of Asian multi-asset strategy at Baring Asset Management (Asia) Ltd., which oversees about $8 billion. “China still has a lot of tools available to it. Policy makers think, yes, the economy is slowing but it’s not a hard landing. They’re going to implement their policies gradually, not aggressively.”
State Council
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.7 percent, after a four-day, 3 percent slump. The gauge has tumbled about 11 percent from its peak this year on Feb. 29 amid concern global growth is slowing as Europe’s debt crisis worsens.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average advanced 0.8 percent, while benchmark gauges in the Philippines and Indonesia climbed more than 1 percent.
The Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 percent, the most in more than a week, after Xinhua cited a statement from China’s State Council as saying the nation will allow financial institutions in Hong Kong to set up consumer-financing companies in Guangdong province, among other measures to boost cooperation. President Hu Jintao visits Hong Kong June 29 to July 1 for the 15th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule.
Japan Tobacco Inc., Asia’s largest cigarette maker by market value, climbed 3.7 percent in Tokyo as investors sought shares of companies whose sales are least affected by an economic slump. Hopewell Holdings Ltd. surged 9 percent in Hong Kong after agreeing to pay the city’s government about $480 million to develop a hotel project.
China Stimulus
China may stabilize foreign trade, expand infrastructure investment, fine-tune monetary policies and reduce taxes, according to a commentary on the front page of the China Securities Journal. The central bank may lower reserve requirements for banks next month for the fourth time since November, the Shanghai Securities News reported.
Natural-gas futures climbed to $2.799 per million British thermal units, poised for the highest close since January as forecasts for hot weather signaled increased demand for the power-plant fuel.
The yield on Japanese 10-year bonds fell 1 basis point and the cost of insuring the nation’s bonds against default dropped after Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda yesterday pushed a bill to double a sales tax through parliament’s lower house. The Markit iTraxx Japan index eased 1.5 basis points to 186.5 basis points, Deutsche Bank AG prices show. The benchmark rose 34.4 basis points this quarter through yesterday, according to CMA.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Clenfield in Tokyo at jclenfield@bloomberg.net "
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