Asian Stocks Rise Fourth Day as Consumer Shares Lead Gain

Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index posting its fourth straight daily gain, as consumer shares led the advance.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.8 percent to 137.75 as of 6:39 p.m. in Tokyo with more than three shares rising for each that fell. The gauge lost 0.1 percent this month and 2.6 percent this year as investors weighed the crisis in Ukraine, with stocks in Japan and Hong Kong declining the most among developed markets. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks in Chicago today as investors await payrolls data due this week to assess the outlook for U.S. interest rates.