* Spreadbetters see bright openings for European markets
* Sentiment lifted as Nasdaq surpasses 2000 dot.com record
* Nikkei ends down, but still logs 1.9 pct weekly gain
* Dollar sticks to recent ranges after uninspiring U.S. data
* Euro slips but off lows on hopes of Greek debt progress
By Lisa Twaronite
TOKYO, April 24 (Reuters) - An index of Asian shares rose to fresh seven-year highs on Friday, on track for a weekly gain after Nasdaq rose to a record, while the dollar stuck to recent ranges after more lacklustre U.S. economic data.
The buoyant mood was seen as likely to carry over into European trading, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain's FTSE 100 to open up 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX 0.6 percent higher and France's CAC 40 up as much as 0.4 percent.
"Although yesterday was a mixed bag for Europe, what with weak economic data and lingering jitters over Greece, the rising tide of new all-time highs in the Nasdaq looks like it will lift all boats his morning," Jonathan Sudaria, a dealer at Capital Spreads, said in a note.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.4 percent, after marking its highest level since January 2008. For the week, it was on track to add about 0.6 percent.
China stocks slipped after the country's securities regulator said it would accelerate approval of initial public offerings in an apparent effort to cool the red hot market. Late on Thursday, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) approved a new batch of 25 IPOs, and said it would publish two lists of approved IPOs each month, up from one currently.
This shows that "regulators are concerned with the pace of the current market rally," said Xiao Shijun, analyst at Guodu Securities in Beijing. "It will bring some short-term pressure to the market."
The CSI300 index fell 1.4 percent while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1 percent, with both still on track for robust weekly gains.
Japan's Nikkei stock index ended down 0.8 percent after hitting a 15-year peak on Thursday, but was still up 1.9 percent for the week.
NASDAQ AT RECORD
On Wall Street on Thursday, the Nasdaq pushed above its previous record set in March 2000, the height of the dot.com boom.
But weak readings on U.S. jobless claims, manufacturing and home sales contrasted with the shining share market performance.
A larger-than-expected 11.4 percent drop in new home sales in March, together with disappointing global factory data, rekindled doubts about whether the economy is strong enough for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year as widely expected, and gave investors an excuse to reduce long positions in the dollar.