By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global stock markets climbed for a second day on Wednesday to its highest level in a week and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high after a report on U.S. consumer prices calmed concerns about inflation.The U.S. Labor Department said its consumer price index rose 0.4% in February, in line with expectations, after a 0.3% increase in January. Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, edged up 0.1%, just shy of the 0.2% estimate, after being unchanged the prior two months.While analysts largely expect a hike in inflation...…By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global stock markets climbed for a second day on Wednesday to its highest level in a week and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high after a report on U.S. consumer prices calmed concerns about inflation.The U.S. Labor Department said its consumer price index rose 0.4% in February, in line with expectations, after a 0.3% increase in January. Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, edged up 0.1%, just shy of the 0.2% estimate, after being unchanged the prior two months.While analysts largely expect a hike in inflation...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, with each of Wall Street’s main indexes closing at record levels as President Donald Trump’s signing of a long-awaited $2.3 trillion pandemic aid bill increased optimism for an economic recovery.In a sudden reversal late on Sunday, Trump backed down from his threat to block the hard-fought bill, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and averting a federal government shutdown.“It’s a positive tone to the U.S. market and part of that is the signing of stimulus package by Trump, which appeared to be in doubt but is...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, with each of Wall Street’s main indexes closing at record levels as President Donald Trump’s signing of a long-awaited $2.3 trillion pandemic aid bill increased optimism for an economic recovery.In a sudden reversal late on Sunday, Trump backed down from his threat to block the hard-fought bill, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and averting a federal government shutdown.“It’s a positive tone to the U.S. market and part of that is the signing of stimulus package by Trump, which appeared to be in doubt but is...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global shares climbed to a record for a third straight day and the dollar continued to slump on Wednesday as further upbeat COVID-19 vaccine news helped alleviate concerns about rising infection rates and related economic damage.Still, with many major equity indexes at or near record levels, analysts caution additional stimulus measures are needed to buttress the economy until a vaccine can be widely distributed, and gains evaporated late in the session.“It’s a confused market because portfolio managers don’t know which time period to focus on,” said Tim...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global shares climbed to a record for a third straight day and the dollar continued to slump on Wednesday as further upbeat COVID-19 vaccine news helped alleviate concerns about rising infection rates and related economic damage.Still, with many major equity indexes at or near record levels, analysts caution additional stimulus measures are needed to buttress the economy until a vaccine can be widely distributed, and gains evaporated late in the session.“It’s a confused market because portfolio managers don’t know which time period to focus on,” said Tim...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 9 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq opened lower on Friday as a rise in U.S. bond yields weighed on richly valued technology stocks a day after the S&P 500 set a record closing high.The S&P 500 opened lower by 1.06 points, or 0.03%, at 4,096.11, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 42.30 points, or 0.31%, to 13,787.02 at the opening bell.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 22.62 points, or 0.07%, at the open to 33,526.19.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards:…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 9 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq opened lower on Friday as a rise in U.S. bond yields weighed on richly valued technology stocks a day after the S&P 500 set a record closing high.The S&P 500 opened lower by 1.06 points, or 0.03%, at 4,096.11, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 42.30 points, or 0.31%, to 13,787.02 at the opening bell.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 22.62 points, or 0.07%, at the open to 33,526.19.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards:WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global stock markets climbed for a third straight session on Thursday to hit its highest level in two weeks, as a dip in government bond yields helped curb inflation concerns and give a boost to equities.Euro zone bond yields fell after the European Central Bank said it was ready to accelerate money-printing to keep a lid on euro zone borrowing costs, using its 1.85 trillion euro Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program (PEPP) more generously over the coming months to stop any unwarranted rise in debt financing costs.Germany’s 10-year government bond yield was...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of global stock markets climbed for a third straight session on Thursday to hit its highest level in two weeks, as a dip in government bond yields helped curb inflation concerns and give a boost to equities.Euro zone bond yields fell after the European Central Bank said it was ready to accelerate money-printing to keep a lid on euro zone borrowing costs, using its 1.85 trillion euro Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program (PEPP) more generously over the coming months to stop any unwarranted rise in debt financing costs.Germany’s 10-year government bond yield was...WW…

By (Reuters) - GameStop and other social media darlings rebounded in calmer trading on Wednesday from their sharp sell-off in the prior session as investors turned their focus to the possibility of tighter U.S. trading regulations.However, the so-called “Reddit rally” cooled again in after hours trade, as GameStop and AMC Entertainment, the main targets hyped on investment forums, fell.Mass buying over the past two weeks by amateur traders following posts on social media fueled a fierce rally in companies that big hedge funds had bet against, including videogame retailer GameStop and cinema...…By (Reuters) - GameStop and other social media darlings rebounded in calmer trading on Wednesday from their sharp sell-off in the prior session as investors turned their focus to the possibility of tighter U.S. trading regulations.However, the so-called “Reddit rally” cooled again in after hours trade, as GameStop and AMC Entertainment, the main targets hyped on investment forums, fell.Mass buying over the past two weeks by amateur traders following posts on social media fueled a fierce rally in companies that big hedge funds had bet against, including videogame retailer GameStop and cinema...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, on the heels of China’s decision to lift its official yuan exchange rate by its highest margin since it abandoned a dollar peg in 2005, while U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia were also in focus.China’s central bank set the official yuan midpoint at 6.4760 per dollar before the market opened, up 1% from the previous fix, the biggest adjustment higher since 2005.Graphic: China sets yuan mid-point at strongest in 30 monthsIn the offshore market, the yuan strengthened as much as 6.4119 for the first...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, on the heels of China’s decision to lift its official yuan exchange rate by its highest margin since it abandoned a dollar peg in 2005, while U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia were also in focus.China’s central bank set the official yuan midpoint at 6.4760 per dollar before the market opened, up 1% from the previous fix, the biggest adjustment higher since 2005.Graphic: China sets yuan mid-point at strongest in 30 monthsIn the offshore market, the yuan strengthened as much as 6.4119 for the first...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks edged lower on Tuesday in choppy trading after hitting record highs, as investors worried about the path of economic reopening and whether the Senate would authorize additional pandemic aid checks.Modest gains in early trading brought stocks to an intraday record, but the advance evaporated after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked immediate consideration of the measure calling for an increase in stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000. Final passage of the proposal would require 60 votes and the backing of a dozen Republicans.McConnell said...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks edged lower on Tuesday in choppy trading after hitting record highs, as investors worried about the path of economic reopening and whether the Senate would authorize additional pandemic aid checks.Modest gains in early trading brought stocks to an intraday record, but the advance evaporated after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked immediate consideration of the measure calling for an increase in stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000. Final passage of the proposal would require 60 votes and the backing of a dozen Republicans.McConnell said...WW…

United States NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 rallied on Tuesday to finish higher and secure its biggest quarterly percentage gain in more than two decades as improving economic data bolstered investor beliefs that a stimulus-backed rebound for the U.S. economy was on the horizon. Coming off a drop of 20% in the first quarter, the biggest quarterly decline since the financial crisis in the fourth quarter of 2008, the S&P rallied more than 19.95% to notch its biggest quarterly gain since 1998, at the height of the tech boom. The gains have been fueled by unprecedented levels of...…United States NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 rallied on Tuesday to finish higher and secure its biggest quarterly percentage gain in more than two decades as improving economic data bolstered investor beliefs that a stimulus-backed rebound for the U.S. economy was on the horizon. Coming off a drop of 20% in the first quarter, the biggest quarterly decline since the financial crisis in the fourth quarter of 2008, the S&P rallied more than 19.95% to notch its biggest quarterly gain since 1998, at the height of the tech boom. The gains have been fueled by unprecedented levels of...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks jumped on Monday, and the S&P 500 closed at a 10-week high, on encouraging early-stage data for a potential coronavirus vaccine and on the promise of more stimulus to lift an economy beaten down by the pandemic.After rallying more than 32% from a multi-year low hit in March, the S&P 500 had been trading in a tight range in May as investors weighed the hopes of an economic recovery against the fears of another wave of infection as states lifted virus-led restrictions.“The fact that Moderna came out with the Phase 1 trial that seems to be positive,...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks jumped on Monday, and the S&P 500 closed at a 10-week high, on encouraging early-stage data for a potential coronavirus vaccine and on the promise of more stimulus to lift an economy beaten down by the pandemic.After rallying more than 32% from a multi-year low hit in March, the S&P 500 had been trading in a tight range in May as investors weighed the hopes of an economic recovery against the fears of another wave of infection as states lifted virus-led restrictions.“The fact that Moderna came out with the Phase 1 trial that seems to be positive,...WW…