Global Stocks on Friday, January 19, soared with MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS, which tracks shares in 47 countries, touched fresh record highs supported by gains in Asia.
Meanwhile, a gauge of world stock markets dipped on Thursday, pausing after notching a string of record highs, as a decline in Boeing and healthcare names weighed on U.S. equities.
In Europe, equity markets opened firmer with the exception of London’s blue-chip FTSE stock index .FTSE. Germany’s Dax index was 0.5 percent higher on the day .DAX and France’s benchmark index was up 0.1 percent .FCHI.
Optimism over the global economic growth outlook and improved corporate earnings have helped share markets rally at the start of 2018. Supporting economic confidence was data on Thursday that showed China’s growth in 2017 accelerated for the first time in seven years.
China stocks ended at fresh two-year highs on Friday, with the Shanghai index .SSEC posting its fifth straight week of gains. Japan’s Nikkei .N225 closed up 0.2 percent.
