Currencies

• EUR/USD The dollar traded 0.1 percent from the least in five weeks against the euro after the Federal Reserve extended its pledge to keep interest rates low until late 2014.
  • The dollar traded at $1.3118 per euro as of 2:51 p.m. in Tokyo from $1.3106 in New York yesterday, when it dropped to $1.3121, the lowest level since Dec. 21

• USD/CAD Canada's dollar gained to the strongest in almost three months after U.S. policy makers said their key interest rate will stay at almost zero until at least late 2014, boosting the attraction of Canada's 1 percent rate.
  • Canada's currency, appreciated 0.5 percent to C$1.0043 per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. Toronto time.

Commodities

• Oil rose for a second day in New York on speculation that a Federal Reserve pledge to keep U.S. interest rates low will bolster economic growth and boost fuel demand in the world's biggest crude consumer.
  • Crude for March delivery rose as much as 84 cents to $100.24 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $100.21 at 2:16 p.m. Singapore time.

• Gold jumped to its strongest in more than a month on Thursday after a promise by the U.S. Federal Reserve to keep rock-bottom rates for at least two more years helped burnish the metal's safe-haven appeal.
  • Spot gold was hardly changed at $1,709.19 an ounce by 0036 GMT after earlier hitting a high of $1,713.59 an ounce, its highest since mid-December.

Equities

• Asian stocks rose for a second day after the Federal Reserve extended its pledge to keep interest rates low and Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the central bank is considering more asset purchases to boost economic growth.
  • Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 0.4 percent
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 1.5 percent

• U.S. stocks sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to the highest level since May, as the Federal Reserve signaled low rates through at least late 2014.
  • The S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent.
  • The Dow gained 83.10 points
  • The Nasdaq-100 Index rose 1.3 percent

• European stocks fell for a second day.
  • The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index slid 0.5 percent
  • Germany's DAX Index added less than 0.1 percent

Sources: Bloomberg, FT