THE ALL SHARE MIBTEL INDEX CLOSED AT 29763 POINTS, UP 38 OR 0.13 PERCENT. TOKYO - JAPAN'S TOPIX INDEX MARKED ITS HIGHEST CLOSE SINCE NOVEMBER 1991, RISING 1.70 PERCENT AS BANK SHARES SUCH AS MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP AND OTHER TOP FIRMS GAINED ON EARNINGS PROSPECTS. THE NIKKEI AVERAGE ROSE 1.42 PERCENT, OR 245.35 POINTS, TO CLOSE AT 17,489.33, ITS HIGHEST CLOSE SINCE JULY 2000. HONG KONG - HONG KONG STOCKS RALLIED TO LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE SEPTEMBER 2000 AS AMPLE LIQUIDITY PROMPTED INVESTORS TO PICK UP SHIPPING AND PORT PLAYS AND MARKET LAGGARDS. THE BENCHMARK HANG SENG INDEX ENDED UP 1.93 PERCENT, OR 311.04 POINTS, AT 16,411.13. SYDNEY - AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND SHARES SET NEW LIFE HIGHS AS RECORD COPPER AND ZINC PRICES BOOSTED MINERS BHP AND ZINIFEX, WHILE BUILDING PRODUCTS MAKER RINKER GROUP JUMPED ON A PROFIT UPGRADE. THE BENCHMARK S&P/ASX 200 INDEX ROSE 31.9 POINTS, OR 0.61 PERCENT, TO CLOSE AT 5,238.9. JOHANNESBURG - SOUTH AFRICAN PHONE COMPANY TELKOM TUMBLED AFTER ANNOUNCING A 30-BILLION-RAND SPENDING PLAN, BUT GOLD AND PLATINUM STOCKS TRACKED FRESH GAINS IN METALS PRICES. THE ALL-SHARE INDEX SLIPPED 0.26 PERCENT OR 54.06 POINTS TO END AT 20,631.27. THE ALL GOLD INDEX CLOSED AT 2886.73 POINTS, UP 18.28 OR 0.64 PERCENT, WHILE THE INDUSTRIAL INDEX CLOSED AT 14267.38 POINTS, DOWN 99.56 OR 0.69 PERCENT. --SP 23 38 LOCAL TIME 20 38 GMT
