Stocks in Asia were mostly higher as investors took solace from a raft of earnings that provided some optimism against a background of concern that global economic growth lacks momentum. Treasury yields and the dollar were flat. Shares edged up in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney, though gains fizzled in Seoul and Shanghai. The S&P 500 Index earlier climbed to push above the 3,000 level, though weakness in chipmaker stocks dragged the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down almost 2% on Texas Instruments Inc.’s disappointing forecast. Nasdaq futures rose as revenue at Microsoft Corp. beat forecasts. Oil dipped after surging on supply concerns. - Bloomberg 



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