Asian Markets UP

Asian stocks gained, led by finance and mining companies, after US Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke said policies to unfreeze credit markets are working.Mizuho Financial Group gained almost 3% Tokyo. Panasonic Corp advanced almost 4.5% after Nomura Holdings raised the shares to buy.Japanese benchmark index Nikkei gained 224.01 points, or 2.56%, to trade at 8,973.85.