The Nikkei climbed almost 1 percent after the report was released yesterday.
Japan's "economy is certainly in a recovery stage, and the Tankan survey gives investors a catalyst to invest in the market," said Ku Shin, who manages about US$2 billion in global stocks at Banc One Investment Advisors Corp in Columbus, Ohio.
A bigger-than-expected 0.9 percent rise in U.S. retail sales in November helped counter pessimism about the weaker dollar. Samsung Electronics, South Korea's biggest consumer- electronics maker, rose 0.8 percent this week to 455,000 won, and LG Electronics Inc, its nearest rival climbed 1.2 percent to 59,700 won.
"Domestic consumption is a big component of the US economy and the retail report is positive because it shows that consumers are spending," said Teo Chon Kiat, who helps manage about US$1.4 billion in Asia, excluding Japan, at DBS Asset Management Ltd. in Singapore.
The US "will tend to import more from Asia and that will help the electronics sector." In Australia, News Corp., which relies on advertising to boost sales at its Fox television network and its New York Post newspaper, rallied 1 percent to A$11.66 for the week. News Corp makes three-quarter of its earnings in the US. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 0.5 percent.
Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.3 percent this week to 1727, led by chipmaker Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
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