Asian stocks made big advances today, with the Nikkei in Tokyo closing at an 8-month high as bullish investors reacted to good signs from Chinese industry and GM's impending bankruptcy, reports AP. The Japanese exchange was up 1.6%, with shipping firms and resource companies leading gains, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng jumped nearly 4%. At midmorning in Frankfurt the DAX was up by 3.2%, leading gains across European markets.
(More Nikkei stories.)