Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks advanced for a fifth day after reports of rising U.S. services and productivity. Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed above 14,000 for the first time in more than four years.

Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Corp. led gains by companies that rely on overseas sales. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. advanced after U.S.-based Qualcomm Inc., the world's second-largest maker of chips for mobile phones, reported a higher-than-expected profit forecast.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index climbed 0.7 percent to 112.07 as of 7:50 p.m. in Tokyo. The gauge has risen 3.7 percent this week, the biggest jump since the week ended Aug. 12. Technology stocks had the biggest gain among the 10 industry groups. Indexes rose around the region, except Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which was little changed.

The Nikkei advanced 1.3 percent to 14,075.96, its first rise above 14,000 since May 23, 2001. The index jumped 5.5 percent this week, the biggest gain since the week ended Aug. 15, 2003. The Topix added 1.4 percent, Asia's biggest advance today.

BlueScope Steel Ltd. plunged after the Australian company said full-year earnings per share will tumble. Stock markets were closed in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan for holidays.

Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest exporter, added 2 percent to 599,000 won. The company, the world's largest computer-memory chipmaker, accounts for about 10 percent of the nation's exports. Sony, the world's second-biggest maker of consumer electronics, climbed 2.9 percent to 3,910 yen.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 0.4 percent yesterday in New York. The Institute for Supply Management's measure of non-manufacturers that make up 87 percent of the U.S. economy rose to 60 last month from 53.3, the biggest jump in three years.

Qualcomm's fiscal first-quarter per-share profit, excluding some costs, will be 36 cents to 38 cents on sales of $1.67 billion to $1.77 billion, the company said. Analysts, on average, expected sales of $1.66 billion in a Thomson Financial survey.

Advantest Corp., the world's biggest maker of equipment to test memory chips, rose 3.1 percent to 8,590 yen. Toshiba Corp., the world's second-largest maker of flash-memory chips for music players and cell phones, added 4.6 percent to 570 yen.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. led gains in Japan after a government report showed overseas investors were net buyers of the country's equities for a fifth week, amid signs that an end to more than seven years of deflation will bolster economic growth.

Mitsubishi UFJ, the world's largest bank by assets, added 4.4 percent to 1.65 million yen. Mizuho Financial Group Inc., Japan's second-largest bank, gained 1.8 percent to 862,000 yen. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., the third-largest lender, advanced 0.9 percent to 1.16 million yen.

Foreign investors purchased 331 billion yen ($2.8 billion) more Japanese stocks than they sold in the week ended Oct. 28, according to Ministry of Finance figures released today. That's the fifth consecutive week of gains.

BlueScope, Australia's biggest steelmaker, slumped 15 percent to A$7.43. Earnings may be as much as A$1 a share in the year ending June 30, the Melbourne-based company said. Profit a year earlier was A$1.37 a share.

Steel prices may fall as much as 27 percent next year as rising output from China, which accounts for about one-third of production, causes a glut, Michael Sones, an analyst at ABN Amro Holding NV, said Oct. 11.

``Global steel prices are simply unsustainable,'' said Atul Lele, who helps manage about $224 million at White Funds Management in Sydney.

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