Asian stocks down after weak US data, Tokyo hit by strong yen

Most Asian stock markets sank Thursday after US growth data fell well short of forecasts, sending the dollar to a near two-month low against the euro as the chances of an interest rate hike in early summer faded. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the US economy grew at an annualised rate of 0.2 percent in January-February, far short of the 1.0 percent projected by analysts. Later in the day the US Federal Reserve said the slowdown was due "in part" to transitory factors and e