European and U.S. stock-index futures advanced and Asian shares rallied as tensions on the Korean Peninsula eased and China said it took “concrete action” to help Europe limit its sovereign-debt crisis. Mining companies may climb with commodity prices after North Korea failed to retaliate to military drills by South Korea yesterday. Royal DSM NV may advance after agreeing to buy U.S.-based Martek Biosciences Corp. for $1.09 billion. Bilfinger Berger SE may rise after Lend Lease Group agreed to buy its Australian unit. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index climbed 0.7 percent to 2,859 at 7:33 a.m. in London, FTSE 100 Index futures rallied 0.5 percent, while futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.4 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index jumped 1 percent as commodity prices rose and the Bank of Japan said it will “steadily” purchase more assets to boost growth. “Appetite for risk has increased,” Jonathan Sudaria, a London-based trader at London Capital Group Holdings Plc, said. “The lack of response from North Korea has confirmed that any probability of a serious escalation in the peninsula was minimal at best.” The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index yesterday rallied to its highest level since 2008, extending its advance this month to 6.3 percent, as investors speculated that Europe’s sovereign- debt crisis will not derail the economic recovery. Chinese Help The euro climbed for the first time in three days today after Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said the world’s second- largest economy “has taken steps to help some EU members counter the sovereign-debt crisis.” The single currency strengthened against 14 of its 16 major counterparts on speculation that investment by China, which holds a record $2.65 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, will ease the region’s fiscal crisis. China’s comments “are likely to ease lingering euro zone sovereign-debt fears,” Sudaria said in an e-mail today. “Markets have been grinding higher as bearish cues ease.” Stocks and commodity prices climbed as tensions between North and South Korea eased after the North failed to respond to military drills on Yeonpyeong Island, which is near the disputed western sea border. Separately, North Korea agreed to let inspectors visit its uranium enrichment facilities, according to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who is on an unofficial visit to the Communist country. BHP, Rio Tinto BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, rallied 1.3 percent to A$45.42 in Sydney as copper advanced for a third day from London to Shanghai. Rio Tinto Group, the third- largest, increased 1.5 percent to A$86.70. Separately, London’s Telegraph newspaper reported that Rio has increased its offer for Riversdale Mining Ltd., without saying where it got the information or how much the offer was. DSM may gain after the world’s largest vitamin maker agreed to buy Martek for $31.50 a share in cash to add a U.S. maker of ingredients for baby food. The Netherlands-based company said the acquisition will be financed from its existing cash and will add to earnings per share immediately. Bilfinger may increase after Lend Lead agreed to buy Valemus Ltd., Bilfinger’s Australian division, for A$1.06 billion ($1.06 billion), five months after the German construction company scrapped plans to list the unit. Lend Lease jumped in Sydney trading after it agreed to pay 24 percent less than the price Bilfinger had sought for the unit in a planned July public listing. To contact the reporter on this story: Sarah Jones in London at sjones35@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Merritt at dmerritt1@bloomberg.net.

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