Asia stocks mixed after solid US corporate results
The Associated Press, Tokyo | Tue, 10/19/2010 8:34 AM
Asian stock markets were mixed in early trading Tuesday, but sentiment remained firm on robust earnings results from Citigroup Inc. and U.S. tech heavyweights including Apple Inc.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index gained 60.46 points, or 0.6 percent, to reach 9,558.95.
South Korea's Kospi slipped just 0.1 percent to 1,873.82. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.4 percent at 4,744.00.
In New York overnight, the Dow Jones industrial average advanced 80.91 points, or 0.73 percent, to 11,143.69 as investors took heart from better-than-expected earnings from Citigroup, one of the worst-hit U.S. banks during the 2008 financial crisis.
Sentiment remained firm in Asia as Apple Inc. and IBM Corp. announced solid quarterly earnings after the U.S. market closed Monday.
Apple said its net income in the July-September quarter soared 70 percent on robust global sales of iPhones. IMB said Monday that its net income rose 12 percent as it wrung more out of its services and software divisions and got a lift from a new mainframe computer.
