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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose on Thursday on growing expectations of more stimulus from the U.S. Federal Reserve, although gains were modest as investors took a cautious stance ahead of critical economic data from China. * The dollar jumped half a yen and climbed rapidly against the euro after U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said there was no need for the dollar to sink further against the euro and the yen. * Japan's Nikkei share average <.N225> was up 0.7 percent in early trade with resource-linked shares higher on a rally in commodity prices. The dollar's jump also helped extend gains. * The MSCI index of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan <.MIAPJ0000PUS> was up 0.2 percent, reversing Tuesday's falls after China's first rate rise in nearly three years that had investors fretting it may embark on a policy tightening cycle. * Oil swayed from gains to losses, trading in a range of $82 to $83, as the dollar strengthened. * Gold ticked up after...

Investors lost their appetite for risk, looking for safer assets, on fears over the strength of the largest economy in the world based on poor economic data from the jobs sector. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell from a two years high by 0.6% to 131.27 at 15:08 in Tokyo. Nikkei 225 Nikkei 225 fell today by 0.87% or 83.26 points closing at 9500.25. From 225 shares, 29 advanced, 183 declined and 13 unchanged. Sectors leading the decline were consumer goods that lost 20.89 points, the industrials that lost 18.91 points and the financials that lost 15.51 points. Lagging shares today Fast Retailing Co Ltd which fell by 1.46% closing at 10820 yen, second was NTT Data Corp which fell by 3.35% closing at 245400 yen. Third was Honda Motor Co Ltd which fell by 1.36% and closed at 2964 yen. Among the shares that advanced Tokyo Electron Ltd topped the list by rising 2.47% closing at 4765 yen, followed by Fanuc Ltd which...

GYEONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) - Finance leaders from the Group of 20 economies will pledge on Saturday to commit themselves to pursue market-determined exchange rates and refrain from "competitive devaluation" of their currencies, a U.S. official said. A communique to be issued at the conclusion of G20 finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting here will state: "We're all committed to moving toward market determined exchange rates that reflect underlying fundamentals and refrain from competitive devaluation," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

-- Krishna Kumar is a Reuters FX analyst. The views expressed are his own -- By Krishna Kumar SYDNEY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The G20 meeting of finance chiefs was definitely what the doctor ordered to relieve concerns that the so-called currency war was spiralling out of control. All the participants have left with a sense of satisfaction, perhaps surprising even the most hardened sceptics. Risky assets should benefit, and look to play gains in Asian currencies against the dollar at first and then the euro later on. The meeting has conjured up some concrete measures: reforms in the IMF, stronger language emphasising "market determined" exchange rates and vows against competitive devaluations all while laying the groundwork for more concrete targets on current account balances at the final G20 summit. The breakthrough on the vexed question of power sharing in the IMF is very significant. The developing nations will definitely realise that enhanced power goes hand in hand with added responsibility, resulting in them sharing in...

BEIJING, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Sunday discussed economic ties with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in a brief meeting in eastern China. Geithner and Wang, who are designated as special representatives of their respective presidents on U.S.-China economic issues, met at Qingdao airport, a stop-off for Geithner after Group of 20 meetings in South Korea. "The two sides exchanged views on U.S.-China economic relations and the preparation for the (G20) Leaders' Summit in Seoul," according to a statement emailed by the U.S. embassy in Beijing. It did not elaborate. The airport meeting in China came at the end of Geithner's trip to the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meetings in Gyeongju, South Korea, where officials agreed to refrain from competitive currency devaluations and reduce current account imbalances.  The United States has been pressuring China to allow its yuan to rise more rapidly in response to market forces. Last week, Geithner delayed a semi-annual report to U.S....

Oct 24 (Reuters) - The Group of 20 major economies vowed to avoid competitive currency devaluations and shifted more power to emerging economies at the IMF, taking steps that analysts viewed as important for averting trade wars and promoting flexible exchange rates. Following is a summary of reserves reports issued by analysts about the G20 communique and outcomes following the gathering of finance ministers and central bankers.  --------------------------------------------------------- THOMAS STOLPER, CHIEF CURRENCY STRATEGIST, GOLDMAN SACHS, LONDON "The outcome of the G20 meeting clearly shows progress in the global rebalancing policy debate. In particular the FX relevant sections have become a lot more prominent and all the key issues have found some mention, including current account positions, protectionism, capital controls and exchange rate flexibility. "At the same time, this is not a Plaza-style statement that signals a broad agreement on the role currencies have to play in the global rebalancing. Just taking the first sentence of the FX bullet, the language is not tight enough to...

 GYEONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner suggested that he sees no reason for the dollar to sink further against the euro and the yen, saying these major currencies are "roughly in alignment," the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. In an interview with the newspaper, Geithner also emphasized that the United States was not pursuing a deliberate policy of devaluing the dollar. This echoed comments he made on Monday in Palo Alto, California, saying "No country around the world can devalue its way to prosperity." In the Journal interview, he referred to three groups of currencies. In one, he put countries with currencies "undervalued by any measure" and in the second he put emerging economies with flexible exchange rates that intervene or impose taxes to try to reduce risks. "In the third group, he put "the major currencies, which are roughly in alignment now," a suggestion that he sees no need for the dollar to sink more than it already has...