World stocks rally on growth outlook, M&A

LONDON: Solid signs of growth in the world economy and prospects for M&A supported global equities on Monday while expectations of higher euro zone interest rates took the euro briefly to an 11-month high against Japan's yen.

Wall Street looked set to open higher, having hit its highest intraday level on Friday since June 2008.

Investors were generally upbeat about the global economy following solid US jobs data on Friday.

World stocks as measured by MSCI were up a third of a percent, flirting with a month high and close to gaining 5 percent for the year to date.

There were underpinned mainly by emerging stocks, up 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei closed up 0.1 percent.

European stocks opened lower but posted gains soon after, adding to three-week highs hit on Friday with a quarter of a percent rise for the FTSEurofirst 300.

Corporate activity was in focus with shares in chemical group Rhodia jumping after Belgium's Solvay launched a bid for its French rival.

Vodafone rose after selling its 44 percent stake in France's second biggest telecom operator SFR to Vivendi.

But it is the improving macroeconomic backdrop that has been primarily responsible for equities bouncing back from their March tumble, related to Japan's disaster and civil unrest in North Africa and the Middle East.

This growth improvement has cemented expectations that the European Central Bank will raise interest rates on Thursday and led to speculation the US Federal Reserve may be getting closer to withdrawing exceptional liquidity.

"As the economy turns the corner and gets back on its feet, central bankers are beginning to see inflation as a greater threat than lack of growth," said Jonathan Sudaria, dealer at Capital Spreads.

RATES DRIVE EURO

Reflecting expectations of differing rate paths, the euro hit fresh 11-month highs against a broadly weaker yen and touched a five-month peak against the dollar.

The single currency later slipped back.

In contrast to the ECB, the Bank of Japan is likely to downgrade its economic assessment at its meeting on Wednesday and may consider finding more ways to help the economy recover from last month's massive earthquake and devastating tsunami.

Key euro-priced bank-to-bank lending rates hit new 21-month highs on Monday, boosted by rate hike expectations.

The euro briefly popped above 120 yen for the first time since May 2010 and was later at 119.51 yen. It hit a five-month high against the dollar of $1.4269 and was later at $1.4215.

"I think the euro is close to putting in a top now as the monetary policy divergence story is almost fully priced," said Lee Hardman, currency strategist at BTM-UFJ.

There was little respite for the euro zone periphery's bond sector with Fitch cutting Portugal's credit ratings by three notches to BBB- late on Friday, one notch above junk, and signalling further downgrades are likely.

Traders also said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's decision not to seek a third term in 2012 elections would raise questions over Madrid's future commitment to economic reforms.