Strong Asian data boosts world stocks

The meeting was held against a darkening backdrop, and the Fed, in a significant policy shift, decided to reinvest maturing mortgage-related securities in government debt so its support for the stumbling recovery did not fade.

"We've seen a reprieve for risk from the data overnight but I'm of the opinion you sell rallies in riskier currencies." said Kenneth Broux, markets strategist at Lloyds Banking Group.

"The market will keep buying safe havens such as the yen and the Swiss franc if U.S. data continues to disappoint."

The Japanese currency rose 0.2 percent to 84.03 per dollar, within half a yen of last week's 15-year high of 83.58. The euro gained 0.9 percent to $1.2797.

Manufacturing activity in the euro zone expanded for 11 months in a row although the pace of growth slowed, according to a Markit survey.

(Additional reporting by William James; Editing by Hugh Lawson)