Asian markets hit their highest levels for 2009, today, after upbeat US economic data gave riskier assets, leveraged to global growth, a boost. Hong Kong's Hang Seng spurted 2.6%; South Korea's KOSPI surged 1.8%; Singapore's Straits Times index rose 1.4%; and Japan's Nikkei index added 0.5%. But China's Shanghai Composite index fell 1.1%.br/br/European markets also rose, boosted by banks and commodities, with comments by US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke that the recession was probably over, helping lift sentiment. Key benchmark indices in France, Germany and the UK up by about 1% to 1.5% in intra-day trade, today. br/br/Gold prices in London climbed 10.60 dollars, to an 18-month high of 1,018.15 dollars an ounce, on concern that a global economic recovery may stoke inflation amid a weak dollar.