GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks rise after vaccine optimism drives Wall St to record highs

By Jessica DiNapoli
NEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Asian markets were set to climb
on Wednesday after Wall Street indexes closed at record highs as
investors grow increasingly hopeful about a vaccine to combat
rising COVID-19 cases and an economic recovery.
"We've had some positive leads, and a combination of
optimism around the vaccine, and government and central bank
stimulus remains in place," said Michael McCarthy, chief markets
strategist at CMC Markets. "It's a sweet spot for markets."
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS
gained 0.09%. In early trade, Australia's S&P ASX 200 .AXJO
also rose about 0.11%.
The futures contract for the Nikkei 225 index .JNIc1 rose
0.15% on Wednesday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures
.HSI HSIc1 rose 0.31%.
Pfizer Inc PFE.N and Germany's BioNTech SE BNTX.O sought
emergency approval of their vaccine candidate from the European
regulator on Tuesday. Competitor Moderna Inc MRNA.O also
applied for emergency approval from the European regulator on
Tuesday. Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine could be launched in
the European Union as early as this month, though a European
regulator clouded the schedule when it said it would complete
its review of their vaccine by Dec. 29. U.S. legislators also indicated progress on economic
stimulus. Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said on
Tuesday that Congress should include a new coronavirus stimulus
in a $1.4 trillion spending bill aimed at heading off a
government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic. U.S. Treasury yields surged on the news. The dollar fell on Tuesday to its lowest level in more than
2-1/2 years as investor appetite for risk increased.
Oil prices extended losses to a second day on Tuesday after
OPEC and its allies left markets in limbo by postponing a formal
meeting to decide whether to lift output in January.
U.S. crude CLc1 recently fell 0.54% to $44.31 per barrel
and Brent LCOc1 was at $47.25, down 1.32% on the day.


<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>