Daiwa Securities Group Inc

Asian stocks are expected to extend gains on Thursday as US and Britain markets climbed to multi-month highs overnight. Wall Street was pushed to a fresh 17-month high as investors cheered for the drop in February Producer Price Index, or wholesale inflation. Yesterday most major Asian markets were stronger after the U.S. Federal Reserve pledge to keep interest rates low for an extended period. The Bank of Japan also left its rate unchanged at 0.1 per cent. The Nikkei Index gained 1.2 per cent and South Korea's Kospi was up 2.1 per cent. Shanghai Composite lifted 1.9 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 1.7 per cent.

Last week Asian markets mostly experienced a significantly losing week and will continue to be weighed by the negative lead from US and European markets on Monday. Asian stocks Friday stumbled on disappointing company forecasts and Toyota's recall of millions of cars. For the month, China's Shanghai Composite lost 8.8%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 8%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 6.2% and South Korea's Kospi slid 4.8% to 1602.43.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (TYO:8601) will invest in China through its affiliate, jointly with a Chinese state-run investment entity, to buy stakes in inland Chinese businesses.

Asian markets fell yesterday as investors remained sceptical and worried the deteriorating economy would not receive immediate help from the US stimulus plan. Tokyo stocks dropped 3%, led mostly by banks and exporters, as trading resumed after a holiday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.3%, while Shanghai Composite lost 0.6%. The major indexes in Asia are likely to remain on a downward trend today.