Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rose, sending the Nikkei 225 Stock Average to its longest run of gains in almost three months. Exporters such as Canon Inc. advanced after U.S. reports showed increased spending and optimism among consumers.

``These reports boost confidence about the U.S. economic growth scenario,'' said Hisakazu Amano, who helps manage the equivalent of $16 billion at T&D Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. ``People are now less worried about the outlook and that's prompting them to go after export-oriented stocks.''

The Nikkei added 1.4 percent to 11,365.58 at the 3 p.m. close in Tokyo. The average rose for a fifth day, the longest winning stretch since the period ended Oct. 6. The Nikkei advanced 2.6 percent this week for its second weekly gain.

Elsewhere, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index rose for a 10th day in 11, adding 0.6 percent to a record 4048.60 in a shortened session. BHP Billiton and Newcrest Mining Ltd. led the advance after prices for copper and gold increased in New York trading.

Taiwan's Taiex index gained 0.4 percent, led by exporters such as AU Optronics Corp., after the island's export orders climbed in November at the fastest pace in seven months as consumers spent more in China and the U.S.

Morgan Stanley Capital International's Asia-Pacific Index, which tracks about 900 stocks, advanced 0.8 percent to 99.06, its highest in four years. The benchmark has gained 5.9 percent in the past two weeks.

Markets in Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka were shut today, while those in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore had shortened trading sessions on Christmas eve. Japanese markets were closed yesterday for a national holiday.

Record Profit, Sales

Canon, which gains 70 percent of revenue from overseas, gained 0.6 percent to 5,450 yen. The Nihon Keizai newspaper reported last week that Canon's net income will be 10 percent higher than forecast, rising to a record. The maker of imaging and office equipment declined to comment on the report.

Toyota Motor Corp., which gets 70 percent of its operating profit from North America, gained 1.5 percent to 4,120 yen. The automaker this week said it expects global vehicle sales to rise to a record in 2005.

U.S. personal incomes rose 0.3 percent last month, the Commerce Department said, beating the 0.2 percent median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. An index of consumer confidence jumped to an 11-month high in December of 97.1 from 92.8 last month, according to the University of Michigan.

The U.S. economy may expand about 3.5 percent next year, according to economist forecasts and the White House. Gross domestic product grew an average 3.3 percent in the past 20 years.

Sony Corp., the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, added 1 percent to 3,960 yen. The company relies on the U.S. for almost a third of its sales. Nissan Motor Co., which gets about 80 percent of its operating profit from North America, advanced 1.1 percent to 1,112 yen.

Taiwan's Exports

AU Optronics, Taiwan's largest maker of flat-panel displays used in computers and televisions, rose 2.9 percent to NT$45.90. Quanta Display Inc., AU Optronics' smaller rival, added 3.3 percent to NT$18.60.

Export orders, indicative of shipments in one to three months, rose 30 percent from a year earlier to $19.8 billion, a government report said after the market closed yesterday.

``Taiwan's exporters should continue to benefit from overseas demand,'' said Liu Juming, who manages the $34 million Fund of the Funds at Fuhwa Securities Investment Trust Co. in Taipei.

BHP Billiton, the world's third-biggest copper producer, gained 0.4 percent to A$15.48. Newcrest, Australia's biggest gold miner, rose 0.6 percent to A$17.47.

Copper resumed a rally that has sent prices up 36 percent this year as declines in global inventory indicated higher consumption of the metal by manufacturers of wire and pipe. Gold prices were boosted by the drop in the U.S. dollar to a record against the euro, which makes gold more attractive as an alternative to U.S. stocks and bonds.

``Barring significant news such as poor economic data from the U.S., I don't think any significant change will happen for the industry over the first months of 2005,'' said Karl Guilfoyle, a trader at ABN Amro Australia Ltd. in Sydney. ``The vast majority of people still think the stocks have a bit more to run, that's why they're buying them.''

AU Optronics Corp. (2409 TT)
BHP Billiton (BHP AU)
Canon Inc. (7751 JT)
Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM AU)
Nissan Motor Corp. (7201 JT)
Quanta Display Inc. (3012 TT)
Sony Corp. (6758 JT)
Toyota Motor Corp. (7203 JT)

To contact the reporter on this story: Neha Kumar in Tokyo at nkumar2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 24, 2004 03:32 EST