THE ALL SHARE MIBTEL INDEX CLOSED AT 27,985 POINTS, UP 223 OR 0.80 PERCENT. TOKYO - THE NIKKEI AVERAGE FELL 1.30 PERCENT AS INVESTORS SOLD ADVANTEST AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY STOCKS AMID GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT FURTHER RATE HIKES IN THE UNITED STATES, A MAJOR JAPANESE TRADE PARTNER. THE NIKKEI LOST 202.54 POINTS TO END AT 15,321.40. HONG KONG - HONG KONG STOCKS ROSE ONE PERCENT TO FRESH SEVEN-WEEK HIGHS AS INVESTORS CHASED COMMODITY FIRMS SUCH AS JIANGXI COPPER, WHILE HEIGHTENED BUYING LATE IN THE SESSION BOOSTED INDEX HEAVYWEIGHT CHINA MOBILE. THE BENCHMARK HANG SENG INDEX ENDED 173.81 POINTS HIGHER AT 16,440.99. SYDNEY - AUSTRALIAN SHARES ROSE 0.5 PERCENT TO A SEVEN-WEEK CLOSING HIGH AS SOME INVESTORS SHIFTED TO DEFENSIVES SUCH AS WOOLWORTHS, WHILE COAL FIRMS GAINED ON PEABODY ENERGY'S BID FOR EXCEL COAL. THE BENCHMARK S&P/ASX 200 INDEX ROSE 23.4 POINTS TO 5,120.3, JOHANNESBURG - A LURCH LOWER IN THE RAND AND RECORD HIGH OIL PRICES BOOSTED SOUTH AFRICAN INDEX-HEAVYWEIGHT STOCKS LIKE MINERS AND FUEL GROUP SASOL. THE ALL-SHARE INDEX CLOSED AT 21,243.83 POINTS, UP 307.91 OR 1.47 PERCENT. THE ALL GOLD INDEX CLOSED AT 3,325.08 POINTS, UP 57.35 OR 1.76 PERCENT, WHILE THE INDUSTRIAL INDEX CLOSED AT 13,645.07 POINTS, UP 169.93 OR 1.26 PERCENT.
