Asian stock markets struggled to make headway on Thursday, after weak U.S. consumer data stoked recession worries and nudged investors toward safe assets such as bonds, while Japan's yen rose as markets doubted the Bank of Japan's policy commitments. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2% and benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields, which fall when prices rise, hit their lowest since September at 3.326%.