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Hong Kong - Asian stock markets saw broad gains on Friday, making a strong finish to the week as they took their lead from Wall Street, which shrugged off lacklustre US economic data.
Global markets have rallied this week, after a tumultuous period caused by the US Federal Reserve's decision to reduce its stimulus programme for a second time in two months.
Sydney closed up 0.91%, or 48.2 points, to 5 356.3 in a rally that came despite mixed earnings results, and Seoul's benchmark index gained 0.69% or 13.32 points to 1 940.28.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.60% or 132.88 points to 22 298.41 and Shanghai improved 0.83%.
Tokyo stocks bucked the trend, closing down 1.53% or 221.71 points to 14 313.03 as the yen strengthened on the back of the disappointing US retail sales and jobless figures which raised more questions about the health of the world's biggest economy.
But Shanghai shares rallied after data showed China's inflation was unchanged in January from a month earlier, despite analysts warning the figure suggested weak growth prospects for the world's second-largest economy.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended up ended up 17.45 points to 2 115.85 on turnover of 97.4bn yuan ($16.0bn). The index rose 3.49% for the week.
The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, closed up 1.65%, or 18.46 points, to 1 138.39 on turnover of 146.4bn yuan. It gained 3.61 percent for the week.
China's inflation rate was steady at 2.5% year-on-year in January, the government said Friday.
"The figure suggested that inflationary pressure is small, so the market is quite optimistic," Zheshang Securities analyst Zhang Yanbing told AFP.
US stocks defied disappointing retail sales and jobless claims data on Thursday to make modest gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing up 63.65 points or 0.40% at 16 027.59.
The broad-based S&P 500 tacked on 10.57 points (0.58%) to 1 829.83, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 39.38 points (0.94%) to 4 240.67.
US retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.4% in January in the second straight monthly decline, according to the Commerce Department.
The Labor Department reported weekly first-time claims for unemployment insurance rose to 339 000 from 331 000 the previous week, slightly more than expected but in line with the longer-term trend.
Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities, said investors saw the data as "primarily weather-related" after a streak of severe winter weather has depressed economic activity.
In currencies, in Tokyo late afternoon trade the greenback fetched 101.90 yen, weakening from 102.15 yen in New York Thursday afternoon.
The euro bought $1.3695 and 139.53 yen, from $1.3678 and 139.74 yen.
Oil prices were mixed in Asia as investors saw the figures as pointing towards weakening demand in the world's top oil consumer.
New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March delivery, eased 15 cents to $100.20 in afternoon Asian trade.
Europe's benchmark contract Brent North Sea crude for April was down eight cents at $108.44 on its first day of trading.
Gold was trading at $1 309.30 an ounce at 09:00 GMT, compared with $1 290.45 late Thursday - rising above the $1 300 mark for the first time since November in another response to the uninspiring US data.
In other markets:
Taipei rose 45.98 points, or 0.54%, to 8 513.68.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co gained 2.38% to Tw$107.5 while HTC fell 0.78% to Tw$128.0.
Wellington added 14.87 points or 0.31% at 4 888.40.
Fletcher Building gained 0.32% to NZ$9.48, Telecom Corp was up 1.65% to NZ$2.46 and Air New Zealand fell 0.29% to NZ$1.695.
The Philippine stock market closed 0.20% higher, with the composite index up 11.94 points to 6 113.66.
Top-traded Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co bucked the trend to fall by 0.3% to 2 682.00 pesos, while Ayala Land gained 0.77% to 26.30 pesos.
