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* Australian equities add 0.5%, Japanese Nikkei up 0.3%
* Investors welcome improved manufacturing activity in the United States in March
* US retail sales dropped unexpectedly in February
* Pound Sterling Attacks on Brexit-related Uncertainty
* Asian stock exchanges: tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Daniel Leussink
TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) – Asian stocks continued their rally on Tuesday as positive surveys of factory activity in China and the US have contributed to investor confidence and concern The global economy prompted the sale of safe haven bonds from the United States as yields rose after lows at 15 months.
The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific equities outside Japan rose 0.2%, reaching its highest level in seven months after rising by more than 1% in the previous session.
Australian stocks gained half a percent and Japan's Nikkei gained 0.3%, extending gains for a third session.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.1%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index remained unchanged.
Wall Street shares jumped on Monday, with the S & P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both up more than 1%, the Dow Dow induces a sharp rise in gains from Caterpillar Inc. and Boeing Co.
Investors applauded overnight US data, showing improved manufacturing activity last month and February construction spending, which overshadowed an unexpected drop in retail sales.
The upbeat figures reinforced the positive sentiment generated by earlier data that the Chinese manufacturing sector had surprisingly resumed growth for the first time in four months in March.
The few encouraging news for the global economy is a result of lingering worries over slowing global demand, with the Sino-US tariff war, sluggish trade and weak corporate earnings, pushing investors out of business. of their risky badets in recent months.
"The market is responding to the improvement of confidence in China. Many investors are buying in anticipation of a rise in shares, "said Norihiro Fujito, chief investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.
Fujito said he expected the market to catch up with consumer confidence in the United States at some point, as below-normal retail sales data indicated that "the world's consumers are not doing well." it was not as good as expected.
Encouraging data on manufacturing activity in the world's two largest economies have prompted some investors to reduce their safe haven badets, resulting in the largest one-day rise in 10-year US Treasury yields since January 4th.
The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds was 2.489%, its highest level in excess of 2.508% over the past week.
The hike pushed the yield curve between three-month US Treasuries and notes 10 years later, after being reversed for a week until last Friday, raising fears that it could herald a recession.
BREXIT CHAOS
In the currency market, the pound sterling was hit following the UK legislators' ruling on the resolution of the chaos surrounding the departure of the country from the European Union.
The British Parliament failed on Monday to find a majority for any proposed alternative to the divorce agreement of Prime Minister Theresa May, although support for an alternative comprising a customs union was much higher than that of the may.
"The only sensible thing for Theresa May is to pull out and let someone else take control of Brexit," said Naeem Aslam, chief market badyst at Think Markets in London, in a statement. note addressed to customers.
The pound was down 0.3% to 1.3065 dollar, not far from last month's nadir of 1.2945 dollar.
The euro has struggled near the lows of the past three weeks, at $ 1.1919, was swept early Tuesday, before falling by a tenth of a percent to $ 1.205.
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was down to 111.31 yen, but 1.5 percent higher than its lowest level of 109.70 to 1-1 / 2 months hit March 25.
Oil prices hit new highs in 2019 after a US official said Washington was considering new sanctions against Iran and that a key Venezuelan export terminal had suspended its operations.
Futures on US crude traded at $ 61.79 per barrel, up 0.3% on the day. Futures on Brent also rose 0.2% to $ 69.15 per barrel.
Gold has risen to $ 1,287.60. (Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore)
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