Asian markets mostly gaining on resource stocks (MarketWatch)  (03-04-2008)

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian markets were mostly in positive territory on Thursday, as rebounding crude-oil and metals prices helped stocks rise across the region.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 Average gained 0.8% to 13,288.49 while the broader Topix index added 0.8% to 1,292.32. Both indexes wavered between positive and negative zones in the morning session.

China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.9% to 3,378.19, after dropping to a 52-week low at 3,271.29 earlier in the session.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index added 1% to 24,113.50, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index gained 1.6% to 13,006.69.

Elsewhere, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 1.7% to 5,595, South Korea's Kospi added 0.9% to 1,757.36, while New Zealand's NZX 50 index advanced 0.5% to 3,611.97.

Singapore's Straits Times index gained 0.7% at 3,147.44, while Taiwan's Weighted index slipped 0.1% to 8,593.45.

Resource stocks and miners led gainers, while airlines declined as the rise in oil prices favored the former, but hurt the latter

 Source: MarketWatch