Asian equities headed for a mixed start to the month after Federal Reserve officials set the stage for an rate increase in March by adding emphasis to their plan for more hikes. Treasury yields touched almost four-year highs before paring gains and the dollar slipped. Futures signaled small gains for Japanese stocks, while Australia faced a flat start and Hong Kong was poised for mild declines. After a topsy-turvy session, the S&P 500 Index closed higher for the first time in three days, rounding out the best start to a year for the U.S. benchmark since 1997. The yield on the 10-year U.S. note retreated having ... (full story)