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The U.S. dollar and Asia financial stocks rose Monday in response to U.S. measures to stabilize embattled mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On Sunday, the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve announced sweeping emergency efforts to lend money and, if necessary, buy stock in the pair. Fannie and Freddie were created by Congress, but are publicly traded companies owned by shareholders. Many investors have long believed that the U.S. government would not let the two companies fail. U.S. stocks had fallen sharply on stability fears last week, while the Treasury increased direct credit lines in the giants that fund half of all U.S. mortgages. The timing of the announcement was crucial ahead of a $3 billion Freddie Mac debt sale and after a run on California-based bank IndyMac that caused it to collapse. Asian financial shares found support from the moves, with Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ bank and Australia's Westpac gaining. But a number of U.S. financial firms including Merrill Lynch and Citigroup announce quarterly earnings this week, prompting many regional investors to take a wait-and-see stance. Record crude prices also knocked the wind out of a larger Asian rally, hitting airlines like Korean Air.