World stock markets rebound

Published June 17, 2006

LONDON, June 16: World stocks extended their recovery on Friday, mirroring a strong rebound by Wall Street overnight as inflation concerns eased, dealers said.European indices were up around 1.0 per cent in early trade and Japanese shares surged to a strong finish, a day after US markets roared back with another powerful gain.In early European dealing, London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares climbed 0.95 per cent to 5,672.5 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 jumped 1.01 per cent to 5,477.21 points and in Paris the CAC 40 index won 1.07 per cent to 4,775.21.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone shares increased 1.06 per cent to 3,530.11 points.

The euro stood at 1.2664 dollars.

World stock markets are rallying after erasing all their 2006 gains in recent weeks on concerns that higher interest rates will stunt global economic growth.

The price of commodities, notably metals and oil, made solid gains also Friday after recent heavy falls.

Amid such rises, heavyweight mining and energy stocks topped the FTSE 100.

Copper miner Kazakhmys leapt 3.27 per cent to 1,641 pence and British Energy rose strongly by 3.25 per cent 682.5 pence.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei-225 index closed up 2.82 per cent at 14,879.34 points on Friday, supported by gains on US stock markets and as concerns about an expected US rate hike at the end of the month eased, dealers said.

Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index ended 2.64 per cent higher at 15,842.65 points, led by property and bank stocks.

Wall Street stocks had soared Thursday, lifting the key blue-chip index back atop 11,000 as inflation-friendly data and reassuring comments from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke helped extend a rebound rally.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.83 per cent close at 11,015.19 points, rising above the key psychological barrier of 11,000 for the first time since June 7.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index leapt 2.79 per cent to 2,144.15 and the broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 index lifted 2.12 per cent to 1,256.16.

The rally gathered steam after Fed chairman Bernanke appeared to tone down his rhetoric about inflation that had spooked the market.-—APP