WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Asian stock markets are looking at a higher open on Thursday following solid economic data from the United States. Payroll processor ADP reported a continued increase in private sector employment in January, while the Institute for Supply Management showed a continued expansion in manufacturing activity in January, with the index of activity in the sector reaching a seven-month high. The major U.S. averages ended firmly in positive territory on Tuesday as the Dow rose 83.55 points or 0.7 percent to finish at 12,716.46, while the NASDAQ jumped 34.43 points or 1.2 percent to 2,848.27 and the S&P 500 advanced 11.67 points or 0.9 percent to 1,324.08. The major European markets also moved higher as the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index jumped by 1.9 percent, while the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index surged up by 2.1 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. The Asian markets were mixed on Wednesday as Japan's Nikkei 225 Index edged up by 0.1 percent, South Korea's KOSPI added 0.18 percent, Thailand's SET collected 0.22 percent and Taiwan collected 0.4 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dipped 0.3 percent, China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.07 percent and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index declined 0.9 percent. Malaysia was closed for Federal Territory Day.
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