Bloomberg Japan, Australia Stocks Futures Rise on U.S. Jobs, Bank Rally

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese and Australian stock futures rose after a government report showed U.S. employers cut fewer jobs in April and oil prices climbed to a six-month high.

U.S.-traded receipts of Canon Inc., which gets a third of its sales from the Americas, climbed 0.7 percent from the closing price in Tokyo on May 8. Those of Nomura Holdings Inc., Japan’s biggest brokerage, advanced 4.2 percent following a rally in U.S. financial shares. Toyota Motor Corp. fell 1.9 percent after forecasting its loss will widen this year. Receipts of Sydney-based BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, gained 4.8 percent.

“The overall message of the U.S. jobless report is that things are getting better,” said Tomochika Kitaoka, a strategist at Mizuho Securities Co. in Tokyo. “Government aid and a recovery in earnings will put American banks back on their feet.”

Futures on Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average expiring in June closed at 9,515 in Chicago, 0.6 percent higher than 9,460 in Osaka on May 8. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in June increased 1.1 percent. New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index extended its advance to a sixth day with a 1.5 percent climb in Wellington.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose for a fifth session on May 8 to a seven-month high on mounting confidence the global economy is recovering. Japanese businesses that have reported fiscal 2008 results projected a 26 percent gain in net income for this year, according to Shinko Research Institute Co. more...