what happened at close, page-18

HONG KONG, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Asian stocks bounced 5 percent from a four-year low on Monday after policymakers around the world took increasingly bold steps to rescue the financial system, including guaranteeing bank desposits and taking stakes in banks.

However, the yen stayed firm against the U.S. dollar and gold also edged up, highlighting investor caution and an unwillingness to dive back into risk-taking just yet, especially with credit markets still barely functioning.

Major European stock markets were expected to open as much as 5.3 percent higher, according to financial bookmakers, and U.S. stock futures rose 4.9 percent after the U.S. government said it would inject capital directly into financial institutions, and European leaders hatched a plan that included buying bank debt.

Looking Good