GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks surge as rally enters new year, dollar rebounds

* MSCI's all-country world index at all-time high
* Global equity markets boosted by China stimulus
* China manufacturing data adds to optimism
* Dollar recovers from six-month low
* Crude prices edge higher at start of 2020

By Herbert Lash
NEW YORK, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The dollar snapped a four-day
losing streak on Thursday and global stock markets jumped at the
start of 2020 as a shot of Chinese stimulus drove a gauge of
world equity performance to a record high.
Gold climbed to a three-month peak while yields on U.S.
Treasuries and Germany's 10-year bond tumbled on optimism about
the world economy after positive Chinese manufacturing data took
an edge off fixed income's safe-haven status.
News that China's central bank was freeing another 800
billion yuan ($115 billion) to prop up a slowing economy added
to the outlook for economic growth, which has been fueled by
easing U.S.-Sino trade tensions.
China's factory activity expanded at a slower clip in
December, pulling back from a three-year high the previous month
as new orders softened, but production continued to grow at a
solid pace and business confidence shot up. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index
for December eased to 51.5 from 51.8 in November, but it
remained above the 50-mark that separates expansion from
contraction for the fifth straight month.
In another piece of positive data, the number of Americans
filing claims for jobless benefits edged lower last week, a
positive for the U.S. labor market with recent signs new claims
may be trending slightly higher. "It still feels like this continuation of the surge that
happened toward year-end in 2019," said Ken Polcari, senior
market strategist at SlateStone Wealth LLC in Jupiter, Florida.
"You did have some good Chinese data that came out
overnight, a positive manufacturing PMI, which is very
expansionary and helping fuel the rally."
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS
gained 3.14 points, or 0.56%, to set an all-time high, while the
pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.93%.
The double dose of Chinese news helped Europe's main markets
in London, .FTSE Frankfurt .GDAXI and Paris .FCHI jump
0.82% to 1.06%, outpacing overnight gains in Asia and setting
them on course for their best opening day of a year since 2013.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose
238.87 points, or 0.84%, to 28,777.31. The S&P 500 .SPX gained
17.98 points, or 0.56%, to 3,248.76 and the Nasdaq Composite
.IXIC added 95.24 points, or 1.06%, to 9,067.85.
Emerging market stocks rose 1.17%, as the Bovespa index
.BVSP in Brazil advanced 2.2% to an all-time high. MSCI's
broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS closed 0.9% higher.
China's blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 , one of the world's
best performers last year, rose 1.4%, reaching its highest since
Feb. 7, 2018. Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI added 1.25%. .SS
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd BABA.N rose 3.4% on news that
China's Ant Financial, an affiliate of the e-commerce giant, has
joined the race for a digital banking license in Singapore, the
company said in a statement. Gold prices were boosted by doubts about the lasting
strength of Wall Street's stock rally, said Jeffrey Christian,
managing partner of CPM Group.
"There is nervousness about why the stock markets are as
high as they are, given the economical and political
environment," Christian said.
U.S. gold futures GCcv1 settled 0.3% higher at $1,528.10
an ounce. Spot gold XAU= hit a three-month high of $1,531.20.
The dollar recovered from a six-month low after a downbeat
December left an index that tracks the greenback versus a basket
of six major trading currencies almost flat at the end of 2019.
The dollar index .DXY rose 0.45%, with the euro EUR=
down 0.37% to $1.1168. The Japanese yen JPY= strengthened
0.17% versus the greenback at 108.52 per dollar.
Sterling was on track for its biggest daily loss in two
weeks as euphoria after last month's UK election gave way to
anxiety over the risk of a no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020.
The pound GBP= was last trading at $1.3138, down 0.88% on
the day.
Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes US10YT=RR rose 10/32
in price to yield 1.8754%.
Germany's 10-year bond yield DE10YT=RR briefly hit -0.16%
on optimism better U.S.-China trade relations will spur global
growth, denting safe-haven assets. The yield on the bund, a benchmark for European lending,
soon slid to -0.23%.
Oil prices steadied after early gains as signs of improving
U.S.-China trade relations eased demand concerns and rising
tensions in the Middle East provided support.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled up 25 cents at $66.25 a
barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1
rose 12 cents to settle at $61.18 a barrel.

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