Asian markets rallied for a third straight day Thursday following another record close on Wall St, as investors cheered an upbeat report on the economy from the US central bank. The dollar sat just short of the 120 yen mark, a level it has not seen for more than seven years, while the euro struggled ahead of a European Central Bank meeting later in the day. Regional markets have climbed this week following a slew of strong US data and record finishes on Wall Street as the world's biggest economy gets back on track. On Thursday, dealers in Asia cheered a report from the Federal Reserve that said "a number" of the central bank's 12 districts said contacts "remained optimistic about the outlook for future economic activity".



More...