World stocks hit a record high yesterday, surpassing a peak recorded in early 2018, thanks to investor optimism that the United States and China are approaching an initial agreement to defuse a protracted trade war.
Stocks rose sharply after US President Donald Trump said in a tweet that the two countries were "very close to a big deal."
According to "Reuters", the index "MSCI" for all countries of the world, which tracks stocks in 49 countries, rose to 551.84 points, exceeding the previous peak of 550.63 points recorded on January 29, 2018. The index is more than 20 percent higher Year, also supported by lower interest rates and government stimulus infusions around the world.
During the trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 114 points, or 0.41 percent to 28026 points, and the S&P 500 index increased by 14 points or 0.44 percent to 3155 points, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 20 points or 0.23 percent, recording 8674 points.
On the other hand, European stocks rose as investors awaited the outcome of a general election in Britain that would determine the fate of Brexit and also a meeting on monetary policy held by the European Central Bank.
The British FTSE 100 index, which consists of companies focusing on international markets, rose 0.8 percent, ignoring the impact of the rise in the British pound. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.3 percent
In Asia, the majority of Japanese stocks settled at the close yesterday, ahead of a deadline to impose new US customs duties on Chinese imports at the weekend, while semiconductor shares went on the path of their Wall Street counterparts and recorded gains.
The Nikkei rose 0.14 percent to close at 23,424.81 points. The index has remained intact since the beginning of November, hovering below 23600 points, which is an important resistance level.
And the broader Topix index fell 0.12 percent to 1712.83 points, due to the small companies' shares falling 0.5 percent.
Chip-linked shares topped the top three on the Nikkei. Tokyo Electron rose 4.9 percent, SOMCO increased 3.3 percent, and Advantest rose 2.8 percent.
The machinery industry index also increased 0.5 percent despite weak Japanese machinery orders data. Hitachi Construction shares rose by 0.2 percent, hitting the highest level in a year.
Otsuka Kajo jumped 30.9 percent after a media report said Yamada Denki, an electronics retailer, would pay 4 billion yen to acquire the troubled company, which operates a furniture retailer.
