(Adds U.S. market open, byline, NEW YORK dateline)
* MSCI's all-country world index gains 0.36%
* Oil approaches one-year high on OPEC+ output cut
* Benchmark bond yields rise, dollar also gains
By Herbert Lash and Marc Jones
NEW YORK/LONDON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Global equities markets
rose for a fourth day of gains on Thursday as signs of a stable
U.S. labor market, a revitalized dollar and rising bond yields
turned attention to economies on the mend rather than the recent
trading frenzy sparked by retail investors.
Longer-term U.S. Treasury yields rose in anticipation of a
large pandemic relief bill from Washington, while the dollar
climbed toward a fifth-straight daily gain on a possibly
stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report on Friday.
Expectations of more stimulus, low interest rates and news
that British researchers plan to use the Pfizer PFE.N and
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) AZN.L vaccines to find ways to reduce coronavirus
variants are pushing equities higher, said Rick Meckler, a
partner at Cherry Lane Investments in New Vernon, New Jersey.
"Extremely low interest rates that continue despite heavy
government spending and deficits are leaving investors with a
feeling it's slanted toward an upward market," he said.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose
0.81%, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.75% and the Nasdaq Composite
.IXIC added 0.79%.
Weekly U.S. jobless claims showed at least 17.8 million
Americans were on benefits in mid-January, suggesting long-term
unemployment was entrenched and could boost President Joe
Biden's push for Congress to pass his $1.9 trillion relief bill.
The main indexes for bourses in London, Frankfurt and Paris
edged up, helped by an agreement late Wednesday by Germany's
ruling coalition on additional measures to support those hit
hard financially by the pandemic. The pan-European FTSEurofirst
300 index .FTEU3 added 0.60% to 1,576.65.
The British pound GBP=D3 dived as much as half a percent
on the possibility the Bank of England would endorse negative
interest rates. But sterling turned positive after the bank
indicated it would not take that position for at least for six
months, if at all. Sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.3658, up 0.10%.
Hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic can be brought to heel by
extensive vaccination programs, combined with expectations of
unswerving global economic stimulus, have led the bond market to
focus on rising government debt and potential inflation.
The dollar index =USD rose 0.525%, with the euro EUR=
down 0.59% to $1.1963. The Japanese yen JPY= weakened 0.42%
versus the greenback at 105.48 per dollar.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury US10YT=RR note rose almost 1
basis point to 1.1409%, while Germany's 30-year government bond
yield DE30YT=RR was almost back in positive territory for the
first time since September.
Market gauges of future euro zone inflation were at their
highest since May 2019, while the gap between two- and 10-year
Treasury yields, at more than 100 basis points, was the widest
in almost three years. That is seen as a another key indicator
of an approaching economic recovery. EUIL5Y5Y=R
Markets eased a bit overnight in Asia. MSCI's ex-Japan
Asian-Pacific index fell 0.6% .MIAPJ0000PUS , led by 1.3% and
0.4% drops in South Korea .KOPSI and China .SSEC .
Japan's Nikkei .N225 lost 1%, ending a three-day winning
streak.
Gold dropped more than 2% to break below the key $1,800
psychological level as a jump in the dollar and U.S. Treasury
yields eroded bullion's appeal.
Spot gold prices XAU= fell -2.56% to $1,786.86 an ounce.
Oil prices gained slightly after the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries and producer allies stuck to their
policy of reduced output.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose $0.30 to $58.76 a barrel.
U.S. crude futures CLc1 gained $0.46 to $56.15 a barrel.
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Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country World Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
Markets have rebounded strongly since COVID shock https://tmsnrt.rs/3cH3yEy
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(Additional Reporting by Sujata Rao in London and Hideyuki Sano
in Tokyo; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Alexander Smith and Dan
Grebler)