Asian Stocks Rise Amid Signs U.S. May Broker Deal on Debt

Asian stocks rose, with the regional index heading for a five-month high, as Senate leaders said they're optimistic they will forge a deal to reopen the U.S. government and avoid a breach of the debt limit this week.

James Hardie Industries SE, a maker of building materials that gets about 70 percent of sales from the U.S., increased 1.5 percent in Sydney. Mazda Motor Corp. (7261) jumped 3.3 percent in Tokyo after Macquarie Group Ltd. and BNP Paribas raised ratings on the carmaker. Hankook Tire Co., South Korea's No. 1 tiremaker, advance 1.8 percent after announcing plans to build its first factory in the U.S.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.5 percent to 141.57 as of 11:07 a.m. in Tokyo, with almost three shares rising for each that fell. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said "tremendous progress" had been made, though "we are not there yet." Leaders are working on an deal to suspend the debt ceiling through Feb. 7 and fund the government through Jan. 15, a person familiar with the talks said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"It looks like the door is now open for compromise," Nader Naeimi, Sydney-based head of dynamic asset allocation at AMP Capital Investors Ltd., which manages about $130 billion, told Bloomberg TV. "The deadline is nearing and we'll get through that. The volatility caused by this debt-ceiling debate will be with us until next year."

Regional Gauges

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index advanced 0.9 percent. The nation's central bank repeated it retains the option of reducing interest rates as policy makers gauge the impact of "substantial" stimulus on the economy, minutes of its Oct. 1 meeting showed.

Japan's Topix (TPX) index rose 0.3 percent, reopening after a holiday. South Korea's Kospi index gained 0.8 percent and New Zealand's NZX 50 Index added 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Index climbed 0.6 percent as it also reopened after a holiday, while China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.2 percent. Markets in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are shut for holidays today.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 1.3 percent last week amid optimism U.S. lawmakers were moving closer to resolving the debt impasse. The gauge traded at 13.6 times estimated earnings on Oct. 11, compared with 15.4 for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and 14.3 for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index.

S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures added 0.1 percent today. The gauge rose 0.4 percent yesterday amid signs lawmakers may reach a deal before the government loses its ability to borrow money.

President Barack Obama postponed a meeting with congressional leaders to give lawmakers more time to reach an agreement. Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, said he shares Reid's optimism after talks in Washington.

Senate Delays

The possible deal could face procedural delays in the Senate and an uncertain path in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker John Boehner would have to decide whether to allow a vote or make changes. Should Congress fail to act, the U.S. government would run out of borrowing authority in two days and start missing debt payments sometime between Oct. 22 and Oct. 31, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

"It's positive to see that they're negotiating and trying to come out with some form of a deal," said Timothy Radford, a Sydney-based strategist at brokerage Rivkin Securities. "We should probably get some deal by Thursday. That should provide some buying support for the market."