Many equities markets gain over 1 percent on session

Global equities markets were higher on Thursday, with many indices in the Asia-Pacific region and in Europe rising by more than 1 percent - and in a few cases by more than 2 percent - on the session. In Asia, Korea’s Kospi index added 2.7 percent to 1,769.8 on huge gains among brokerages and shipbuilders. In Manila the PSE index added 2.4 percent to 3,628.62, while in India, the Sensex added around 1.4 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 1.4 percent as well, to 20,867.26, while in Singapore the Straits Times index was 0.87 percent higher to 3,573,43. Gains in Tokyo were not as high, but the Nikkei 225 and the Topix index each added 0.6 percent, to 17,842.29 and 1,756.64 respectively.

Europe’s advances were significant, as well. The Eurofirst 300 added 1.44 percent on the session, to 6,642.7. Among continental markets, the IBEX gained 1.6 percent to 15,066.4 in Madrid, while the Paris CAC-40 was 1.9 percent higher to 6,047.23 and in Frankfurt the Xetra Dax added 2.19 percent to 7,849.16. In London, meanwhile, the FTSE 100 was up 1.27 percent to 6,642.7 and the FTSE 250 gained 1.82 percent to 11,809.2.

Wall Street was higher at mid-session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.33 percent to 13,534.05 by the middle of the trading day, while the Nasdaq Composite was 0.49 percent higher to 2,594.95 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.33 percent to 1,520.71.

The yen was weaker again, as was the Swiss franc. The Australian dollar was lower as well, while the US dollar was flat versus the euro and only a little higher against sterling.

Crude oil and metals prices were higher on the session.

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