Asian stocks pulled ahead on Friday after patches of U.S. data continued to paint the world’s largest economy in a positive light, while the dollar was on the defensive against its major peers, Reuters reported. The U.S. data released on Thursday showed durable goods orders, pending home sales and initial jobless claims coming in strong, while capital goods orders and the Kansas City Fed manufacturing survey were weak. The financial markets are now looking forward to the United State’s first quarter GDP release and comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen at a Harvard University-sponsored event later on Friday.

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