GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks gain as investors eye economic recovery, gold shines

(Adds close of U.S. markets)
* MSCI's all-country world index gains, off record peak
* German yields hit highest since March 2020
* UK, Chinese, Japanese markets closed for holidays
* Graphic: Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
* Graphic: World FX rates http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Herbert Lash and Tommy Wilkes
NEW YORK/LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose and a
gauge of global equity markets closed not far from a record high
on Monday as investors bet corporate results and U.S. data will
underscore the strength of the economy's rebound from
pandemic-induced shutdowns.
The dollar eased against a basket of currencies as the yield
on Treasury bonds retreated on data showing U.S. manufacturing
activity grew at a slower pace in April. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note US10YT=RR traded
2.8 basis points lower at 1.6029% after a shortage of inputs
likely restrained factory output as massive fiscal stimulus and
rising COVID-19 vaccinations unleashed pent-up demand.
The dollar index =USD slipped 0.3%, making gold more
affordable for holders of other currencies, while sliding
Treasury yields reduced the opportunity cost of holding
non-interest-bearing gold.
In Europe, stocks closed higher after the European
Commission outlined plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on
tourism. Strong factory and retails sales data and a robust
earnings season added to investor optimism.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX closed up 0.6% and
MSCI's benchmark for global equity markets .MIWD00000PUS rose
0.2% to close at 703.31, about 0.7% shy of a record closing high
hit last week.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose
0.7% and the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.27%. The Nasdaq Composite
.IXIC dropped 0.48%.
A slide in high-flying tech and related stocks - including
Amazon.com Inc tsla.o="" and="" salesforce.comInc. CRM.N - pressured the Nasdaq, as growth-oriented shares
.RLG slid and cyclical stocks .RLV sensitive to the recovery
rose.
Markets in China, Japan and Britain were closed for public
holidays, keeping trading volumes thin.
Earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to rise 46.3% in
the first quarter year-over-year, almost double the rate
forecast at the start of April, Refinitiv IBES data shows.
Of the 303 companies that have reported so far, 87.1% have
beat analyst estimates, or more than 20 percentage points above
the long-term average, Refinitiv said.
German retail sales data for March came in far better than
expected, underlining that a U.S.-led economic rebound is now
gaining traction elsewhere. But some economists think businesses may be getting ahead of
themselves and are being influenced more by the success and
speed of COVID-19 vaccination rollouts.
"The data has been unrealistically strong in recent months -
while the underlying economy is performing very well,
manufacturing growth is not quite at the stratospheric levels
the surveys imply," said UBS economist Paul Donovan.
A busy week for U.S. economic data is expected to show
resounding strength, particularly for the ISM manufacturing
survey and April payrolls.
Euro zone government bond yields reversed earlier gains to
track U.S. Treasuries lower on the U.S. manufacturing activity.
German benchmark 10-year yields DE10YT=RR fell 0.3 basis
point to -.207%, rising earlier to their highest at -0.162%
since March 2020.
The rise in Germany yields accelerated last week when German
inflation advanced further above the European Central Bank's
target, and U.S. data showed economic growth sped up in the
first quarter.
The euro EUR= rose 0.35% to $1.206 and the Japanese yen
JPY= strengthened 0.14% versus the greenback at 109.10 per
dollar.
Cryptocurrency ether scaled a new record high of $3,342.81
ETH=BTSP as investors bet on increased adoption. Its 2021 gain
of 356% has eclipsed that of bigger rival bitcoin BTC=BTSP .
Oil rose more than 1% as Chinese economic figures and the
U.S. vaccination rate pointed to a strong rebound in demand in
the world's two largest economies.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled up 80 cents at $67.56 a
barrel. U.S. crude futures CLc1 rose 91 cents to settle at
$64.49 a barrel.
U.S. gold futures GCv1 settled 1.4% higher at
$1,791.80 an ounce.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>