GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks hit records again; bitcoin surges after Tesla move

* U.S. stocks gain; MSCI all-country world index hits record
* Bitcoin rises to record
* Hopes of $1.9 trln U.S. stimulus boost sentiment

(New throughout, updates prices, market activity and comments
to European shares close, adds details, comment on Tesla,
bitcoin)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - A gauge of global stock markets
hit another all-time high on Monday as optimism grew that U.S.
lawmakers will soon pass a COVID-19 aid package, and bitcoin
surged to a record high after Tesla revealed it had purchased
$1.5 billion of the cryptocurrency and would soon accept it as a
form of payment.
Tesla Inc TSLA.O shares were up 1.5%, while cryptocurrency
miner Riot Blockchain RIOT.O jumped 30% and Marathon Patent
Group MARA.O climbed 33%.
Tesla Inc's TSLA.O move is seen as key for bitcoin, the
world's most widely-held crytocurrency, since Tesla is the fifth
most-valuable U.S. company, and its CEO, Elon Musk, is among the
world's richest people. "Musk getting involved in Bitcoin, to those investing in
Bitcoin will be used as a way to tell others that this is a real
asset, you can actually do something with it, they will support
it as an argument of being the way of the future," said Robert
Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth Management.
Investors sold U.S. Treasuries on expectations the U.S.
fiscal stimulus would boost inflation more quickly than
expected, which pushed benchmark yields to 11-month highs.
Major U.S. stock indexes hit record highs in early New York
trading, extending a recent streak of gains.
Feeding the optimism were comments on Sunday by U.S.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who said that if Congress
approves the $1.9 trillion plan, the country would get back to
full employment next year.
Congress on Friday approved a budget plan that would allow a
coronavirus relief bill to muscle through in the coming weeks
without Republican support.
"We now have a situation where the Democrats do not need
Republican approval in order to move ahead with the full $1.9
trillion stimulus package," said Thomas Hayes, managing member
at Great Hill Capital LLC in New York.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 135.76 points,
or 0.44%, to 31,284, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 13.6 points, or
0.35%, to 3,900.43 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 72.41
points, or 0.52%, to 13,928.71.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.30%, while
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained
0.52%. The MSCI index hit its ninth record high of 2021
overnight.
Oil prices rose to their highest in just over a year. Brent
oil LCOc1 was up 68 cents, or 1.2%, at $60.02, while U.S. West
Texas Intermediate CLc1 rose 68 cents, or 1.2%, to $57.53.
The dollar was flat to slightly lower in choppy trading,
holding its ground against a basket of major currencies as
investors continued to price in a faster U.S. recovery than in
most countries. The dollar index =USD fell 0.025%, with the euro EUR= up
0.02% to $1.2045.
Benchmark 10-year yields US10YT=RR hit 1.200%, the highest
since March, before falling back. Benchmark 10-year Treasury
notes US10YT=RR last rose 4/32 in price to yield 1.1584%, from
1.17% late on Friday.
Spot gold XAU= added 1.1% to $1,831.75 an ounce.

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Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
World stocks and oil vs COVID https://tmsnrt.rs/2LAzJdC
Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
World FX rates in 2021 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
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