Categories: EuropeInternational Investing

Global Markets Rise amid Year-End Rally; Nikkei Hits Five-Year High

Global Markets Rise amid Year-End Rally; Nikkei Hits Five-Year High target= “_blank” (AP)

Global markets surged today as a year-end rally revved up on good news for stocks out of Japan and China, as well as an afterglow from Thursday’s report of reduced U.S. unemployment benefit claims. European stocks rose strongly after those markets were closed Dec. 25-26 for the Christmas holiday. European investors appeared to be switching preferences from bonds to stocks, as 10-year bond prices dipped but stock markets gained. By mid-session Germany’s DAX index had booked a record high, rising 0.8 percent to 9,563.20. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent to 6,743.50 and France’s CAC was up 1.0 percent to 4,265.48. The gains occurred despite a two-day rally in the euro that sent it briefly to its highest level since 2011 after a quote from Germany’s European Central Bank representative Jens Weidmann in the Bild newspaper that weak inflation alone is no reason to keep interest rates low.

Paul Dykewicz

Paul Dykewicz is the editor of StockInvestor.com and the editorial director of Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, D.C. He writes and edits for the website, as well as edits investment newsletters, time-sensitive trading alerts and other reports published by Eagle. He also is an accomplished, award-winning journalist who has written for Dow Jones, USA Today and other publications, as well as served as business editor of a daily newspaper in Baltimore. In addition, Paul is the author of the inspirational book, "Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame's Championship Chaplain." He received his MBA in finance from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a two-time president of the school's Finance Club. In addition, Paul has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Outside of work, Paul volunteers with a faith-based organization to assist the poor in Southeast Washington, D.C., to learn personal finance skills to lift themselves out of debt.