Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose, ending a three-day decline. Toyota Motor Corp. advanced on optimism the world's largest automaker by market value would report a jump in earnings.

The Nikkei 225 added 0.2 percent to 10,464.60 at the 3 p.m. close in Tokyo, after shedding 3.1 percent earlier this week. The Topix rose 0.3 percent, led by Toyota, which reported after the market closed that third-quarter profit climbed more than forecast by analysts as sales in the U.S. rose.

``It's pretty much clear that Toyota is winning in the U.S.,'' said Masanao Yoshitake, who helps manages about $2.5 billion at Meiji Dresdner Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. He doesn't plan to add to his holdings of auto stocks because of concern about the rising yen and its effect on earnings.

Elsewhere in Asia, Australia's BHP Billiton, the world's third-biggest copper miner, gained after Deutsche Bank AG advised investors buy more of the company's shares.

Thailand's SET Index led the region's gains, rising for a third day, as the government eradicated bird flu in two more provinces in a bid to wipe out the disease from the country by the end of the month.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index added 0.4 percent to 87.99, halting its six-day, 4 percent decline. Benchmarks in the region gained, apart from those in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore. Indexes in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia were little changed.

Toyota climbed 2.7 percent to 3,490 yen. The company said that third-quarter profit rose 60 percent to 286.5 billion yen ($2.72 billion), as it sold more Tundra pickup trucks and Sienna minivans in the U.S.

The result was more than the 237 billion yen median estimate of four analysts in a Bloomberg survey.

Yen Concern

Ricoh Co., Japan's second-largest office equipment maker, tumbled 3.4 percent to 1,952 yen. The company yesterday lowered its full-year sales forecast by 1.3 percent to 1.77 trillion yen. Ricoh forecasts that the dollar will buy on average 108 yen for the quarter ending March 31, 2.3 percent more than its present level of 105.49 yen to the dollar.

The company joined exporters such as Olympus Corp. and Teijin Ltd. that cut earnings forecasts this week because of the yen's gain. The local currency has surged 13 percent versus the dollar in the past year. A higher yen crimps the value of U.S. currency sales by exporters.

BHP Billiton Upgrade

``The biggest concern in the market has been the strengthening yen and its impact on earnings,'' said Youichi Yanai, who oversees $28 billion at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. in Tokyo.

Australia's BHP Billiton added 2.9 percent to A$11.50. Joe Kaderavek, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, raised the stock to ``buy'' from ``hold,'' citing the outlook for its earnings and production capacity.

BHP said after the market closed that it plans to spend $94.5 million expanding its iron ore production by 10 percent to 110 million tons a year. BHP said last week that its aluminum output rose to a record 308,000 tons.

South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. rose 1.5 percent to 61,400 won. The nation's No. 2 electronics maker may narrow its fourth- quarter net loss by 80 percent, according a forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. LG Electronics reports earnings tomorrow.

Bird Flu

Thailand's SET Index rose 1.6 percent to 729.30, extending its two-day, 7.6 percent gain. Thailand has slaughtered as many as 25.9 million chickens to curb bird flu in most infected provinces. Five provinces are left with active outbreaks, including Bangkok, government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said.

PTT, the country's largest energy company, added 1.3 percent to 161 baht. Shin Corp., which controls Thailand's biggest mobile phone company, gained 2.7 percent to 38.25 baht.

BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP AU)
LG Electronics Inc. (066570 KS)
PTT Pcl (PTT TB)
Ricoh Co. (7752 JP)
Shin Corp. (SHIN TB)
Siam Cement Pcl (SCC TB)
Toyota Motor Corp. (7203 JP)

To contact the reporter on this story: Tomoko Yamazaki in Tokyo at tyamazaki@bloomberg.net; Michael Tsang in the Tokyo newsroom (81) at mtsang1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 5, 2004 03:56 EST