Tokyo — Asian stocks resumed their ascent on Friday, supported by US earnings optimism and a rise in oil prices while the euro edged higher as the European Central Bank (ECB) signalled an end to its massive stimulus. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.5%, following two consecutive sessions of decline. Japan’s Nikkei dipped 0.1%. China’s custom-cleared trade data showed brisk growth in exports and imports in 2017, underscoring a global economy that continues to hum along nicely. Wall Street’s three major stock indices hit record highs with earnings for S&P 500 companies expected to have increased by 11.8% in the recently ended quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. MSCI’s broadest gauge of the world’s stock markets also hit a record high on Thursday, having risen in seven of the eight business days so far this year for a total increase of 3.3%. The energy sector led the gains as oil prices rose to three-year highs while interest rate sensitive s...
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