June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose for a fourth week as improved Australian consumer confidence and U.S. retail sales, rising investments in China and higher commodity prices added to evidence the global recession is easing. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., Australia’s third-largest iron ore producer, added 31 percent through the week on speculation demand for iron ore in China will rise. Rio Tinto Ltd., which gets 19 percent of its sales from China, jumped 6.5 percent. China Construction Bank Corp., the nation’s second biggest lender, advanced 8.3 percent after the central bank said lending doubled. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. soared 15 percent on its talks to build a power plant Australia. “There is a general sense that the worst has passed,” said Matt Riordan, who helps manage about $3.2 billion at Paradice Investment Management in Sydney. “As things recover in the U.S., people will start buying imported products again, and that also flows through into resources.” The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 1.8 percent to 105.17, its highest since Sept. 26. The gauge has climbed 49 percent from a five-year low on March 9, taking valuations of its companies to the highest in more than eight months, as signs of a recovery have increased in recent weeks. Growing Optimism Australia unexpectedly reported growth in its economy last week, while Japan’s government two weeks ago raised its view of the economy for the first time in three years. U.S. retail sales in May rose for the first time in three months, and initial jobless claims declined last week to the lowest level since January, separate government reports showed on June 11. China’s retail sales jumped 15.2 percent in May, the most in four months. Investments on factories, property and roads in the first five months of 2009 surged a more-than-estimated 32.9 percent from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said this week. An Australian consumer sentiment index compiled by Westpac Banking Corp. and the Melbourne Institute that was released on June 10 showed an increase of 12.7 percent in June from the previous month to 100.1 points. It’s the first time since January 2008 that the index was above 100, indicating optimists outnumber pessimists. Lending Surge China’s central bank said new lending doubled to 664.5 billion yuan ($97 billion) in May from 318.5 billion yuan a year earlier, adding to a credit boom that is supporting the government’s 4 trillion yuan stimulus plan. The Industrial Commercial Bank of China, the world’s largest by market value, climbed 6.3 percent on the week to HK$5.22. China Construction Bank jumped 8.3 percent to HK$5.62. Bank of China Ltd. added 4.5 percent to HK$3.72. The confidence of Chinese bankers increased for the first time in nine months. An index tracking the confidence of 2,900 heads of financial institutions rose to 40 percent in the second quarter from 25.6 percent three months earlier, the People’s Bank of China said in a statement on its Web site. Mitsubishi Heavy soared 15 percent to 409 yen. Japan’s largest heavy-machinery maker said it’s in talks with the Queensland government to build a cleaner-burning, next- generation coal-fired power plant in the Australian state. Mining and energy companies are the best performers of the MSCI Asia Pacific Index’s 10 industry groups in the past month as prospects of a global recovery fueled optimism that demand for commodities will increase. Commodity Rally The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index, which tracks prices of 19 commodities, surged 1.7 percent, its fourth week of advance. Fortescue Metals jumped 31 percent to A$4.15. Mt. Gibson Iron Ltd., Australia’s fourth-biggest iron-ore producer by market value, surged 22 percent to A$1.16. Rio Tinto, which gets 30 percent of sales from iron ore, added 6.5 percent to A$77.20. Sesa Goa Ltd., India’s largest exporter of iron ore, rose 30 percent through the week, its biggest weekly gain since June 2002, to 203.4 rupees. Annual contract prices for iron ore, down for the first time in seven years, may rebound 10 percent next year on rising imports by China, according to Goldman Sachs JBWere Pty analysts. Nippon Steel Corp. climbed 5.7 percent to 393 yen, jumped 7.1 percent to 395 yen in Tokyo. JFE Holdings Inc. advanced 7.9 percent to 3,400. Kobe Steel Ltd. surged 11 percent to 198 yen. The three Japanese steelmakers are restarting some idled capacity because output at automakers and other manufacturers has hit bottom, the Nikkei newspaper reported yesterday. BlueScope Steel Ltd., Australia’s largest steelmaker, climbed 8.8 percent to A$2.84 in Sydney. Posco, Asia’s third- largest steelmaker, gained 7.1 percent to 432,500 won. Brokerage Upgrades Nomura Holdings Inc., Japan’s biggest brokerage, soared 21 percent to 917 yen. Merrill Lynch raised it to “buy,” saying the company should return to profit this year as operating costs decline. “The rebound in the stock market is helping increase fee revenues at brokerages and is easing investor concern valuation losses will balloon at financial companies,” said Masaru Hamasaki, a Tokyo-based senior strategist at Toyota Asset Management Co., which oversees $15 billion. UBS Hana Asset Management Co., manager of South Korea’s second-best performing major fund this year, said it plans to buy more stocks in the country’s mobile-phone makers as they expand their global market share. LG Electronics Inc., the world’s third-biggest handset maker, added 4.3 percent to 122,500 won after saying exports to China this year will triple. Samsung Electronics Co. gained 2.6 percent to 584,000 won. Credit Suisse Group AG upgraded its rating to “outperform” from “neutral.”

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