Asia stocks surge on ECB stimulus hopes

HONG KONG: Japanese stocks surged almost 6 percent on Friday, leading an Asia rally, as dealers welcomed a report that the country’s central bank is planning to ramp up its stimulus program and after Europe’s top banker hinted at similar moves.

After a rout that has wiped several trillion dollars off global markets so far this year, the prospect that two of the planet’s biggest central banks were ready to step in finally gave investors something to cheer about.