Asian shares jump, boosted by a strong reading on US retail

Asian shares have advanced, cheered on by a stronger reading than expected on U.S. retail sales that set off a Wall Street rally. A report showed U.S. shoppers opened their wallets at stores last month by much more than expected. Benchmarks rose in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Hong Kong but fell in Shanghai. In the latest data on the regional economy, Japan ’s trade deficit reached a record 3.497 trillion yen, or $26.2 billion, in January, as imports for the world’s third largest economy jumped amid higher raw material and energy costs, and a weak yen. Shares rose on Wall Street.