Asian stocks post smart gains

Asian stocks posted smart gains Friday as investor sentiment improved in the US, the regions largest export market. Auto and electronics majors led advances.

Shares of Toyota Motor rose 0.9% and Sony rose 1%. Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, climbed 3%.

Samsung Electronics rose 1.5% and LG Electronics advanced 2.2%.

Konica Minolta, the world's second-biggest maker of film used to make liquid-crystal displays, climbed 3.9% after the company said yesterday first-quarter net income rose 53% to $135 million.

Shares of Sumitomo Realty & Development Company jumped nearly 6% after Japan's third-largest property firm posted a 50% rise in group quarterly operating profit and revised up its first half forecast.

BHP Billiton, the world's largest mining company, gained 1.7%.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5% to 6,040.30 and New Zealand's NZX 50 Index was little changed at 4,137.81.

In Japan, the Nikkei ended the morning session up 24.56 points at 17,008.67. The broader TOPIX Index added 0.21% to 1,672.87.

South Korea's KOSPI advanced 1.6% to 1,882.88.