* European stocks kick off June with strong gains
* USD hits 11-week low against major currencies
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Asia markets close higher, Nikkei at 3-mth peak
* China surveys show growth at home, subdued exports
By Thyagaraju Adinarayan
LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - World stocks were just shy of
three-month highs and the dollar weakened further on Monday as
optimism on economies opening up boosted risk appetite,
shrugging off worries over riots in the U.S. and unease over
Washington's power struggle with Beijing.
After having risen a whopping 35% from a late March trough,
stocks were set to kick off June with more gains. The MSCI all
country world stocks index .MIWD00000PUS has covered
two-thirds of the losses it incurred in the aftermath of the
coronavirus outbreak.
Monday's gains were also lifted by relief that while
President Donald Trump began the process of ending special U.S.
treatment for Hong Kong to punish China, he left their trade
deal intact. European stocks .STOXX opened 1% higher led by virus-hit
sectors such as travel & leisure, banks and miners but volumes
were subdued as Germany, Switzerland and Austria were closed for
holidays.
"The Trump rhetoric against China and trade impediments
against Hong Kong could have been a lot worse, hence the
performance of those markets this morning, which has helped the
risk backdrop for the European open," said Chris Bailey,
European strategist at wealth manager Raymond James.
The safe-haven dollar .DXY , meanwhile, hit an 11-week low
dented by risk-on mood among investors and riots in major U.S.
cities over race and policing. "I agree the riots are not good but the perception is that
this is a local issue...and the uncertainty has spilled over
into a lower dollar," Bailey added.
E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 were trading 0.4%
higher, reversing a 1% loss earlier in the session.
In Asia, stocks closed higher led by China on signs parts of
the domestic economy were picking up. Hong Kong .HSI managed
to rally 3.6%, while Chinese blue chips .CSI300 put on 2.4%.
An official business survey from China showed its factory
activity grew at a slower pace in May but momentum in the
services and construction sectors quickened.
That helped lift MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific
shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS 2.1% to its highest since
early March. Japan's Nikkei .N225 added 0.7% to also reach a
three-month peak.
The turmoil was a fresh setback for the economy which was
only just emerging from a downturn akin to the Great Depression.
Following poor data on spending and trade out on Friday, the
Atlanta Federal Reserve estimated economic output could drop a
staggering 51% annualised in the second quarter.
The May jobs report due out on Friday is forecast to show
the unemployment rate surged to 19.8%, smashing April's record
14.7%. Payrolls are expected to drop by 7.4 million, on top of
the 20.5 million jobs lost the previous month.
YEARS, NOT MONTHS
"Current unemployment numbers go far beyond what has been
experienced in any post-war recession," Barclays economist
Christian Keller wrote in a note. "To the extent that some
sectors may never return to pre-pandemic business-as-usual."
Bond investors suspect economies will need massive amounts
of central bank support long after they reopen and that is
keeping yields super low even as governments borrow much more.
Yields on U.S. 10-year notes US10YT=RR were trading steady
at 0.66% having recovered from a blip up to 0.74% last month
when the market absorbed a tidal wave of new issuance.
German bund yields DE10YT=RR were stuck near minus 0.42%.
In currency markets, the euro continued to lap up gains, the
single currency was last up at $1.1131 EUR= , after climbing
1.8% last week. The Australian dollar AUD=D3 hit a four-month
high.
Much of the dollar's recent decline has come against the
euro which has been broadly boosted by plans for an EU stimulus
package.
Markets are awaiting a meeting of the European Central Bank
on Thursday where it is widely expected to raise its asset
buying by around 500 billion euros to 1.25 trillion.
In commodity markets, gold added 0.9% to $1,1742 an ounce
XAU= . GOL/
Oil prices initially eased on worries about U.S. demand, but
found support from reports Russia had no objection to the next
meeting of OPEC and its allies being brought forward to June 4
from the following week. Brent crude LCOc1 futures were off 22 cents at $37.62 a
barrel, while U.S. crude CLc1 fell 19 cents to $35.30. O/R
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
The $15 trillion bounceback https://tmsnrt.rs/2ZQH3qa
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>