Futures contracts inched higher in the overnight session Sunday evening, suggesting that the major U.S. equity indexes could trade at or near records when regular trading opens in New York.
Dow futures gained 98 points, while those linked to the S&P 500 rose 0.25%. Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.23% higher.
Stocks rose on Monday amid speculation that interest rates will remain low due to receding inflationary pressure, while oil and gas prices jumped after a cyber attack on a U.S. pipeline operator unnerved markets.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.3%, while U.S. stock futures rose 0.14%.
Australian stocks hit their highest in more than a year, boosted by gains in miners, but shares in China fell 0.74%. Japanese shares gained 0.53%.
Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 0.42%, German DAX futures were up 0.32%, and FTSE futures rose 0.37%, pointing to a strong start to the European session.
The focus now shifts to U.S. consumer price data due on Wednesday, which will help investors determine whether they need to scale back their inflation expectations even further.
MSCI’s broadest index of global stock markets hit a record high on expectations that low rates will continue to spur lending and economic growth.
· Japanese shares end higher as focus shifts to corporate earnings
Japanese shares gained on Monday, as a strong finish last week on Wall Street boosted risk appetite, while local investors looked to corporate earnings from automakers and other major firms for signs of progress in a pandemic-hit economy.
The Nikkei share average rose 0.55% to close at 29,518.34, while the broader Topix jumped 0.99% to 1,952.27.
· European markets mixed to start the week
The pan-European Stoxx 600 hovered around the flatline in early trade, with basic resources jumping 2.4% to lead gains while tech stocks fell 1.1%.
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