Tokyo/Singapore — Asian stocks rose on Friday and the dollar hit a seven-week peak, riding on economic optimism ahead of a US job report later in the day.Spreadbetters expected Britain’s FTSE to open 0.2% higher, Germany’s DAX to edge up 0.07% and France’s CAC to open down 0.2%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.3%, poised for a 1.6% gain on the week.Japan’s Nikkei climbed 0.3% after setting a new two-year high, Australian stocks rose 0.9% and South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.9%. The S&P 500 posted its sixth straight record high close on Thursday, its longest run since 1997, as investors cheered increased prospects for a tax overhaul with Congress moving closer to agreement on a budget resolution."We have the very first step where Congress passed the budget details, so you’re one step nearer to tax reform," said Heng Koon How, head of markets strategy for United Overseas Bank (UOB) in Singapore.Data on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing fo...
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