Asian Stocks Mostly Higher; Europe Mixed
Updated from 4:13 a.m. EST
NEW YORK (
) -- Asian stocks ended mostly higher Monday as investors took a rate increase from the U.S.
Federal Reserve
last week as a sign the world's No. 1 economy might be doing a bit better.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 stock average gained 2.7% to 10,400.47, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng index rose 2.4%.
Stocks fell in China on Monday by 0.5% as investors are still digesting a move by regulators to increase reserve requirements for banks as a way to curb lending. Markets in China were closed all of last week for the Lunar New Year celebration.
The Fed's increase Thursday in the discount rate was initially viewed by overseas investors as a potential catalyst to a slowing of the recovery in the U.S. But a favorable report Friday on the Consumer Price Index -- the core rate, which strips out food and energy costs, showed a decline of 0.1% -- took the edge off concerns of imminent tightening.
On Friday, the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
rose 0.1%, the
S&P 500
gained 0.2% and the
Nasdaq
ticked higher by 0.1%.
Premarket futures suggest U.S. stocks will open higher in the U.S. on Monday.
European shares were mixed, with stocks in London higher by 0.1%.
-- Reported by Joseph Woelfel in New York.
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