Asian stock markets continued to surge on Tuesday after global equities soared to their highest levels of the year the previous day, buoyed by better-than-expected profits at Europe’s biggest bank and growing confidence that the worst recession in decades may soon be over.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 average was up 1 per cent to 10,462.61, the highest level since last October. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong advanced to its highest level since last September, opening 1.5 per cent higher at 21,127.37. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia also rose 1.5 per cent to reach 4,328.80 at midday, its highest level since last November.
