In today’s market report… better-than-expected profits from Intel, the word's top chipmaker, boosted Asian technology shares.

Japan's Nikkei touched a 15-month high, as chip-making equipment firm Tokyo Electron gained, along with stepper maker Nikon.

Cosmetics giant Shiseido jumped after saying it will buy California-based Bare Escentials for $1.7 billion.

Taiwan chipmakers and PC firms joined global peers and led advances, while
Seoul giant Samsung again climbed.

China's top Web search engine Baidu firmed to a record high in U.S. trading, while CEO Steve Ballmer said Microsoft had no plans to join Google in pulling out of the country, playing down concerns about recent cyber attacks and censorship.