LONDON (Reuters) – Global stock markets climbed to a four-week high on Monday as investors counted on a resurgence of Chinese activity to drive global growth, even as rising cases of coronavirus delayed the reopening of business in the United States.
FILE PHOTO: The DAX chart of the German Stock Price Index is shown on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, on June 25, 2020. REUTERS / Staff
The MSCI All-Country World Index, which tracks stocks in 49 countries, rose 0.7% to its highest level since June 6 after the start of European operations.
European stocks rose, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index rising 1.64%. Shares exposed to China, such as automakers, industrials, energy companies and luxury goods manufacturers, rose sharply, while banks also recovered.
In Asia, MSCI’s broader index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 1.6% to its highest level since February, and bullish sentiment spread to other markets.
E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 affirmed at 1.2%.
Chinese blue chips jumped 5.7% in addition to a 7% rise last week to their highest level in five years. Even Japan’s Nikkei, which has lagged behind with a weak domestic economy, managed to gain 1.8%.
Among the reasons investors cited the purchase was the improvement in economic data, UBS noted that the Citi Economic Surprise Index for the US has reached its highest level on record. The index measures how well economic data releases are doing relative to consensus forecasts.
Some cited an editorial in the China Securities Journal, which said Monday that China needed a bull market to help finance its rapidly developing digital economy.
“We advise against considering uncertainty as a reason to exit the markets. Instead, we see ways that investors can cope with uncertainty, including market averages, or even take advantage of volatility, “said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management.
In Hong Kong, Jefferies chief global equity strategist Sean Darby said the positive sentiment towards Asian markets was the result of better-than-expected regional economic data and high levels of liquidity.
“All the indicators of global monetary policy are flashing green right now. It is very weak and that should mean that underperforming markets should perform well, “Darby told Reuters.
“The dollar has also weakened in the past five days, so emerging markets, led by China, typically do well because of that.”
Most markets gained ground last week when a large amount of June economic data beat expectations, although the resurgence of coronavirus cases in the United States is clouding the future.
In the first four days of July alone, 15 states reported record increases in new cases of COVID-19, which has infected nearly 3 million Americans and killed about 130,000, according to a Reuters count.
Analysts estimate that reopens affecting 40% of the US population have now recovered.
“Markets will have to climb a wall of concern in July as economic activity is likely to be softened by the V-shaped recovery seen in recent months,” said Robert Rennie, head of financial market strategy at Westpac. .
“We must also remember that relations between the United States and China are deteriorating markedly.”
Two US aircraft carriers conducted exercises in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, the US Navy said, as China also carried out military exercises that have been criticized by the Pentagon and neighboring states.
The risks, combined with relentless stimulus from central banks, have kept sovereign bonds backed by better economic data. While US 10-year yields rose to 0.7% on Monday, well above the June high of 0.959%.
Germany’s benchmark 10-year performance of the Bund was up, further away from the recent five-week lows against the recovery in the equity markets.
Citi analysts estimate that global central banks will likely buy $ 6 trillion of financial assets in the next 12 months, more than double the previous peak.
The major currencies have largely been in range with the dollar index falling 0.3% to 96,894, after spending an entire month in a tight band of 95,714 to 97,808.
The dollar was a little firmer on the yen at 107.57 on Monday, while the euro rose above the $ 1.13 mark.
In the commodity markets, gold has benefited from super low interest rates worldwide as negative real yields on many bonds make non-interest bearing metal more attractive.
Spot gold traded at $ 1,776.21 per ounce, just above last week’s high of $ 1,788.96.
Oil prices mixed with Brent crude oil futures rising 1.87% to $ 43.58 per barrel, while US crude oil gained 0.84% to $ 40.99 amid concerns that the increase in coronavirus cases in the United States United would curb demand for fuel.
Chart: world exchange rates in 2020 here
Report by Ritvik Carvalho; additional reports from Wayne Cole in Sydney and Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; Editing by Nick Macfie
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