By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian stock markets rose on Monday, with China stocks nearing a seven-year peak on hopes for more infrastructure spending and policy stimulus, while oil prices suffered further from excess supply.
Activity was guarded most elsewhere in a week book-ended with holidays and a U.S. jobs report that could affect the timing of interest rate hikes there.
Shanghai shares (SSEC) climbed 1.9 percent to test highs last seen in May 2008 on hints that Beijing supported the market's rise. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCE) also added 3.5 percent after China allowed mainland mutual funds to buy Hong Kong stocks.
After some early dithering, Japan's Nikkei (N225) firmed 0.8 percent, helped by talk of demand for the new quarter and financial year.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (MIAPJ0000PUS) recouped early losses to gain 0.4 percent.
European bourses were tipped to open firmer, while S&P EMini stock futures
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Friday reaffirmed that U.S. rates would likely start rising later this year but emphasized the pace of tightening would be gradual and data-dependent.
The conditional outlook helped nudge longer-dated Treasury yields lower and left the dollar listless for the moment. It fetched 119.21 yen
The euro eased back to $1.0861
Oil prices fell further as Iran and six world powers tried to reach a nuclear deal that could add more supply to the market if sanctions against Tehran are lifted.
U.S. crude
The data diary in Asia was rather sparse, with Japan reporting a disappointing decline in industrial output for February. Figures on German inflation, European confidence and U.S. personal income and spending are due later in the session.
Flash inflation data for the euro zone are out Tuesday and manufacturing surveys on China the day after. That should be just an appetizer for Friday's U.S. payrolls report.
Economists polled by Reuters are forecasting a healthy 244,000 rise in non-farm payrolls in March. If confirmed, it would be the 13th straight month of job gains of over 200,000, a run not seen since 1994-95.
The market reaction will be complicated by holidays across much of the western world on Friday. Only some U.S. markets will be open and then only for shortened hours.
Investors will again have to keep a wary eye on Greece and its talks with international creditors where the parties are struggling to come up with a list of acceptable reforms.
Greece will run out of money by April 20 if it does not secure funding from its European partners, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters last week.