BANGKOK -Asian shares advanced Wednesday, with Tokyo gaining more than 2% after Japan's central bank kept its lax monetary policy unchanged, dispelling speculation it would yield to pressure to tighten credit to counter rising inflation. The Bank of Japan shook markets in December with a surprise widening of its target range for yields on long-term government bonds. It kept that range in its latest policy statement, despite recent cases when yields on 10-year government bonds exceeded the 0.5% upward limit. After the BOJ's announcement, the dollar gained sharply against the Japanese yen, rising to 130.82 yen from 128.17 yen. Among the companies reporting their latest results this week: Netflix, M&T Bank and Procter & Gamble.
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