* European stocks edge higher, following Asian lead
* Gold, yen fall as MidEast worries ease; oil recovers
* Investors prepare for U.S. payroll data due at 1330 GMT
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(Adds new quote, details, latest prices)
By Tommy Wilkes
LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - World stocks set new record highs
on Friday and the prices of safe-haven assets such as gold
pulled back as investors cheered an apparent de-escalation in
U.S.-Iran tensions and looked instead toward prospects of
improved global growth.
Markets have swiftly reversed the sharp falls seen at the
start of the week after the United States killed Iran's most
senior general, as investors have concluded that a full-scale
military confrontation is unlikely.
The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks
shares in 49 countries, has quickly resumed its rally and added
another 0.12% on Friday to hit a new record high. It is almost
1.5% above the lows seen on Monday.
European shares also rose, although not quite hitting new
records. The pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 .STOXX50E gained 0.1%
and the German DAX .GDAXI 0.23%, while Britain's FTSE 100
.FTSE was unchanged.
The three major share indexes on Wall Street touched new
record highs on Thursday, and S&P 500 futures were 0.28% higher
ESc1 , pointing to a stronger open ahead of all-important U.S.
non-farm payrolls data due at 1330 GMT.
A Reuters poll of economists is forecasting the U.S. economy
will have added 164,000 jobs in December, down from 254,000 in
November, typically a strong month for hiring. Investors will
also be focusing on underlying wage growth data for a gauge of
underlying labour market strength.
Stock markets have got off to a decent start in 2019 despite
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to kill military
commander Qassem Soleimani, the second most powerful figure in
Iran, in a missile strike in Baghdad.
FULL CIRCLE
"In the space of a few days we appear to have swung full
circle; with investors seemingly convinced that the problems in
the Middle East appear to have settled down, at least for the
time being," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC
Markets.
"Investors now have the opportunity to focus on the signing
of the new U.S.-China phase one trade deal next week, as well as
the health of the U.S. economy today, and in particular the
labour market which has continued to look resilient," he added.
Adding to the bullish mood, investors welcomed news that
sales of Apple's iPhones in China in December jumped more than
18% on the year. They digested the report as a prelude to the
upcoming visit by China's Vice Premier Liu He, head of the
country's negotiation team in Sino-U.S. trade talks, to
Washington next week to sign a trade deal. MSCI's emerging market currency index .MIEM00000CUS ,
although little changed on Friday, hit 1-1/2-year highs on
Thursday in what is likely to be its sixth straight week of
gains. It has also benefited from three U.S. rate cuts last
year.
Safe haven assets extended their drop.
Gold XAU= eased 0.1% to $1,550 per ounce from a seven-year
high of $1,610.90 hit right after Iran's missile attack on
Wednesday.
Against the Japanese yen, which investors often buy in times
of uncertainty, the U.S. dollar strengthened 0.2% to a two-week
high of 109.65 yen JPY= .
The dollar was slightly firmer .DXY . The euro dropped 0.1%
to $1.1085 EUR= , its lowest in about two weeks.
Oil prices, which briefly spiked at the start of the week on
worries that tensions with Iran would disrupt global supplies,
recovered some of their subsequent losses.
Brent crude LCOc1 rose 0.3% to $65.57 a barrel, and was
heading for its first decline in six weeks and its biggest since
October, down around 4.5%.
U.S. crude oil CLc1 rallied 0.22% to $59.69 a barrel but
was also on track for its first weekly drop in six, falling 5.3%
from last Friday's close.
Government bond yields, which rose on Thursday as investors'
nerves about the situation in the Middle East eased, edged lower
on Friday.
The benchmark 10-year German bond yield DE10YT=RR fell
marginally to -0.221% but for the week remains up 6 basis
points, in a strong signal of investors' willingness to pull
back from safe-haven government debt for riskier assets.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield US10YT=RR slipped to
1.852% but it too remains up more than 6 basis points on the
week.
"With risk appetite showing little sign of abating following
another resurgent 24 hours in markets, the next potential hurdle
to jump is the first payrolls Friday of the new decade," said
Deutsche Bank macro strategists.
MSCI World Equity Index https://tmsnrt.rs/2NdTxAT
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(Editing by Gareth Jones and Catherine Evans)