* MSCI AxJ index strikes all-time high
* Dollar hits two-year low
* Fed confirms backstop, Congress mulls stimulus
By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Stocks scaled record heights,
the dollar plumbed two-year lows and oil prices hit their
strongest since March on Thursday, as monetary support and the
hope of fiscal stimulus in the United States put traders in a
festive mood.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.4% to an all-time high. Japan's Nikkei
.N225 rose 0.3% to sit just shy of a 29-year peak. .T
December S&P 500 futures ESc1 were one point short of a
record top and, after the Nasdaq .IXIC printed a record close
on Wednesday, Nasdaq 100 futures NQc1 climbed higher into
uncharted territory on Thursday. European futures STXEc1 rose.
The euro EUR= and currencies from the Asia and the
Antipodes to Scandinavia hit multi-year highs. The dollar index
=USD fell to a two-year low. FRX/
Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 , a proxy for global energy
consumption and growth, rose nearly 1% to $51.54 a barrel, the
highest level since early March - before over-production fears
and virus worries pushed oil prices off a cliff. O/R
"My suspicion is markets are inclined to extend this rally
for two reasons," said Vishnu Varathan, head economist at Mizuho
in Singapore, citing U.S. monetary policy support and the good
news on the horizon as vaccines roll out globally.
"If new infection numbers don't go crazy...I think there is
some scope for a so-called Santa rally into the end of the
year," he said. "That's what markets appear to be poised for."
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell vowed on
Wednesday to keep pouring cash in to markets until the U.S.
economic recovery is secure.
Bond traders were disappointed he didn't extend the Fed's
purchase program deeper down the yield curve, and U.S.
Treasuries sold off at longer tenors, but everybody else took it
as a signal that the bank will have their back. US/
"The message was clear – the Fed is willing and capable of
doing more if needed," said Kerry Craig, global market
strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Melbourne.
"The meeting also made clear that rates are highly unlikely
to move until bond purchases come to an end. This means the
market focus turns to the prospect of a pre-Christmas fiscal
package from Congress."
CHRISTMAS PACKAGE
U.S. lawmakers edged closer to agreement on a $900 billion
virus-relief spending package on Wednesday with top Democrats
and Republicans sounding more positive than they have in months
about getting something done. The proposal is expected to include $600-$700 stimulus
checks and extended unemployment benefits and cannot come soon
enough as U.S. COVID-19 infections soar to record levels.
"The market is buying it and the mood music from (Republican
Senate leader Mitch) McConnell and others is good," said Gavin
Friend, senior market strategist at National Australia Bank,
while adding the package likely to wind up relatively modest.
Elsewhere better-than-expected labour data in Australia
pushed the Aussie AUD= as high as $0.7593, its strongest since
mid 2018. AUD/
The Aussie is also riding high on surging prices for iron
ore and a mood that has pushed currencies in Malaysia MYR= ,
Singapore SGD= , Thailand THB= , Taiwan TWD= , Sweden SEK=
and Norway NOK= to milestone peaks. EMRG/FRX
The kiwi NZD= rose to its strongest since early 2018 after
New Zealand's economic growth beat expectations. U.S. Treasuries steadied with the yield on benchmark
ten-year government bonds US10YT=RR flat at 0.9246%.
Asia's outlier was South Korea, where a record daily rise in
coronavirus cases pushed the Kospi .KS11 a tiny bit lower.
Cryptocurrency bitcoin BTC=BTSP extended gains after
breaking past $20,000 overnight. It rose 4% to $22,318.
Investors are attracted by its momentum - it is up 200% this
year - and its purported resistance to inflation because of its
limited supply. Gold XAU= rose 0.3% to $1,869 an ounce. GOL/
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>