Asian stocks mostly rise

Asian markets mostly rose Friday following another record close on Wall Street, while the euro dug in against the dollar and yen after rebounding from multi-month lows. Investors were still upbeat after Thursday's strong manufacturing data from China as well as the eurozone, which lifted hopes for the global economy. Tokyo rallied 1.13 per cent, or 173.45 points, to a six-month high of 15,457.87 thanks to a weakening yen, while Seoul rose 0.36 per cent, or 7.23 points, to close at 2,033.85. Shanghai added 1.02 per cent, or 21.55 points, to 2,126.61 and Hong Kong rose 0.31 per cent, or 74.51 points, to 24,216.01. However, Sydney was a touch lower, dipping 4.3 points to 5,583.5 after hitting six-year highs in the week. Regional traders were still in an upbeat mood after HSBC said Thursday that its index of manufacturing activity in China had hit an 18-month high, the latest sign of an uptick in the Asian economic giant. In New York the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high for the second straight session after data showed new claims for US unemployment insurance slid to an eight-year low last week. The news is the latest sign that the recovery in the world's top economy is well on track. However, the Commerce Department released figures showing sales of new single-family houses fell 8.1 per cent in June, tempering the positive vibe. While the S&P 500 ended marginally higher, the Dow and Nasdaq dipped slightly, according to AFP.