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* S&P index set for biggest annual rise in 6 years
* Japanese stocks on track for best year since 1972
* Euro near 5-year high vs yen, two-year high vs dollar
* U.S. benchmark yields slip below 3 percent
(Updates market action, changes dateline; previous LONDON)
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - World stock markets rose to a
six-year high on Monday on optimism about the global economy
heading into 2014, while the euro strengthened against the
dollar and yen on comments by European Central Bank chief Mario
Draghi.
U.S. benchmark yields slipped below the 3 percent threshold
after they hit a two-year high last week on expectations of
improving domestic growth as the Federal Reserve begins to pare
its massive bond-purchase stimulus in January.
Views on economic improvement further reduced the appeal of
gold, which will record its biggest annual loss in 32 years.
Oil prices fell near $111 a barrel in London on signs crude
exports from Libya might return to normal due to a possible end
to a four-month blockage of a key port.
MSCI's all-country world equity index edged
up 0.1 percent to 407.65, its highest since late 2007. It was
poised to gain almost 10 percent for the year, following a 13.4
percent rise in 2012.
Wall Street stocks were little changed, with the Standard &
Poor's 500 index on track to book a 29.1 percent annual rise
this year, its biggest since 1997. .N
"This market was one that performed better than all
expectations and did that despite an improving yet sluggish
economy," said Andre Bakhos, managing director at Janlyn Capital
LLC in Bernardsville, New Jersey.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 5.43 points,
or 0.03 percent, at 16,483.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index
was down 1.49 points, or 0.08 percent, at 1,839.91. The
Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3.02 points, or 0.07
percent, at 4,153.57.
After years in which financial markets lurched from the debt
crisis in Europe to U.S. political deadlock, investors are
generally becoming more upbeat on the global economic outlook.
Most European stock indexes fell but stayed on track to post
their biggest annual gains in four years on support from the ECB
and a strengthening economic recovery.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares
provisionally closed down 0.2 percent at 1,311.76 but was still
set to post a gain of 16 percent for the year, its best annual
performance since 2009.
Japanese shares ended 2013 with a flourish, up 0.7
percent - 56.7 percent for the year. Tokyo's Nikkei index has
posted its strongest run-up since 1972 as aggressive government
and central bank policies have driven the plunge of its currency
in an effort to help exporters and stimulate domestic demand.
"This year has seen the renaissance of equities as the
financial crisis ended. Next year should see the end of the
economic crisis, and it should bring more opportunities for
stock investors," said David Thebault, head of quantitative
sales trading at Global Equities in Paris. .EU
Thin year-end conditions made for more lively moves in the
currency market.
The euro last traded up 0.4 percent to $1.3803, short
of $1.3892 set on Friday - which was the highest since October
2011. The single currency also strengthened against the yen
, rising 0.4 percent to 145.03 yen after hitting a
five-year peak of 145.675 yen on Friday. FRX/
Comments by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi in
Germany's Der Spiegel that he saw no urgent need to cut interest
rates again and no signs of deflation supported the euro.
TOP/CEN
"At the moment we see no need for immediate action. We don't
have Japanese conditions," he said. (http://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2013/html/sp131230.en.html )
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Fed trims bond-buying: http://link.reuters.com/myp55v
Asset returns in 2013: http://link.reuters.com/dub25t
Euro zone debt crisis http://r.reuters.com/hyb65p
Currencies v dollar in 2013 http://link.reuters.com/tak27s
World interest rates: http://link.reuters.com/xyb96s
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
U.S. YIELDS FALL
Yields on the U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury note slipped
to 2.97 percent as bargain-hunting emerged two days before the
end of 2013. The 10-year yield climbed to its highest in more
than two years at 3.02 percent last week.
Federal borrowing costs had risen in reaction to the U.S.
central bank's decision earlier this month to dial back its bond
purchases next week by $10 billion a month, to $75 billion.
Fed Reserve officials have expressed cautious optimism on
improving domestic growth in 2014, helped by other major
economies showing signs of improvement.
The U.S. housing recovery has supported the overall economy.
with pending home sales edging up 0.2 percent in November.
[ID: nL2N0K90R1]
Global growth hopes lifted copper and aluminum
to four- and two-month highs. Aluminum clung to a 0.7
percent rise to close at $1,822 a tonne but copper nearly erased
its early gains, closing up 0.03 percent at $7,380 a tonne.
Safe-haven gold fell 0.7 percent to $1,204.76 an
ounce as the precious metal headed toward its biggest annual
loss in over three decades. GOL/
In the oil market, Brent crude fell $1.00 or 0.89
percent to $111.18 a barrel, while U.S. oil futures shed
94 cents or 0.94 percent at $99.38. O/R
(Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak in New York, Blaise
Robinson, Marc Jones in London and Wayne Cole in Sydney; Editing
by Catherine Evans and Dan Grebler)
((richard.leong@thomsonreuters.com)(+1 646 303 6313)(Reuters
Messaging:
richard.leong.thomsonreuters.com@thomsonreuters.net)(Twitter
@RichardLeong2))
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Keywords: MARKETS GLOBAL/