The U.S. stock markets moved sharply higher this week, on track for its fourth straight week of gains, driven by ongoing improvements in economic indicators. The index of U.S. leading indicators jumped 0.6% in April, following a worse-than-expected 0.2% fall during March, suggesting better times ahead. Consumer confidence also rose to 83.7 in May, which was higher than economist forecasts and a dramatic improvement over 76.4 in April.
Global markets followed the U.S. markets higher for the most part. Japan’s Nikkei jumped 3.63% due to the ongoing effects of a weak yen; Britain’s FTSE climbed 1.48% after the Bank of England raised its outlook on the region’s economy; and Germany’s DAX rose 1.43% amid speculation that the eurozone may engage in further monetary easing. In the end, the global recovery story remains in tact, although the eurozone economy and ......Commentary
