April 2 (Bloomberg) — Asian stocks rose in U.S. trading, led by solar shares, after oil advanced more than $3 a barrel and Trina Solar Ltd. signed a contract to buy refined silicon that will allow the Chinese company to boost production.
Shares of solar power-cell makers accounted for seven out of the top 10 biggest gainers in the Bank of New York Co.'s Asia ADR Index. Jiangsu, China-based Trina rose the most in nine months.
The ADR index, which tracks American depositary receipts of the region's companies, added 0.3 percent to 151.22. Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures expiring in June were at 13,305 in Chicago, compared with 13,155 in Singapore and 13,180 in Osaka, Japan.
Trina rallied $5, or 15 percent to $37.75. The Chinese maker of solar power cells sign an agreement with China's GCL Silicon Technology Holdings for polysilicon, the main component in photovoltaic power panels. The deliveries will begin this month and continue over eight years.
Other solar stocks also advanced. Solarfun Power Holdings Co. jumped $2.24 to $14.55. Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. climbed $2.86 to $20.09. China Sunergy Co. increased $1.32 to $8.81.
Crude oil rose more than $3 a barrel and gasoline surged to a record after an Energy Department report showed that U.S. supplies of the motor fuel fell a third week.
Airline shares dropped as rising oil prices boosted concern higher fuel costs will cut earnings. China Southern Airlines Co. dropped $3.13 to $38.35 while China Eastern Airlines Corp. fell $3.02 to $50.11.
China Unicom Ltd. slipped $1.06 to $21.11. The smaller of the nation's two mobile-phone carriers was downgraded to “sell'' from “hold'' by Deutsche Bank AG.
