Global venture capital investments hit record high
Global venture capital investments are at record levels this year, boosted by a surge in equities, higher liquidity and an increased interest in sectors that have benefited from the coronavirus pandemic.
· Stocks shrug off virus worries; ECB in focus
Asian stocks rallied on Thursday, bonds nursed losses and oil held onto sharp gains as investors seemed to set aside virus jitters for now and looked ahead to the European Central Bank for reassurance that policy support will continue for some time.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) followed Wall Street higher and rose 1% with broad gains from Sydney (.AXJO) to Seoul (.KS11) and Hong Kong (.HSI). Japanese markets are closed until Monday.
· Hong Kong jumps nearly 2% as Asia-Pacific stocks rise; bitcoin bounces back
Shares in Asia-Pacific were higher on Thursday, with markets in Japan closed for a holiday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was among the biggest gainers regionally, rising about 1.7%, as of its final hour of trading. Shares of China Evergrande Group surged around 8%. Those gains came after the indebted developer announced it has solved legal disputes with China Guangfa Bank, according to Reuters.
Mainland Chinese stocks closed higher, with the Shanghai composite climbing 0.34% to 3,574.73 while the Shenzhen component rose 0.326% to 15,262.19.
· European stocks maintain buoyant momentum; ECB decision ahead
European stocks were higher on Thursday, reflecting positive global momentum after a dour start to the trading week.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 climbed 0.7% in early trade, with travel and leisure stocks jumping 2.3% to lead gains while food and beverages slipped 0.6% lower.
Investors in the region are awaiting the latest monetary policy announcement from the European Central Bank on Thursday. The central bank’s new inflation target and its possible effects on monetary policy will be the key topic of this week’s meeting in Frankfurt.
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