Global stocks at record high, bonds struggle

Alert Focus: Mammon / The Third Seal Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. REUTERS - By Lincoln Feast - December 28, 2006 -- LONDON -- Investors continued to prefer stocks over bonds on Thursday, pushing indexes around the globe to fresh record highs, while oil steadied after falling $3 a barrel over the past four sessions. Euro zone government bonds drifted lower, extending their December sell-off as investors awaited U.S. data and absorbed Italian supply, while major currencies traded in tight ranges as volumes dried up between the Christmas and New Year holidays. MSCI's All-Country World Index <.MSCIWD> nudged to a new all-time high of 368.6 points, taking gains for 2006 to 19 percent.... On Wednesday, U.S. stocks rose strongly, buoyed by ongoing takeover speculation and activity and gains for house builders after strong U.S. home sales. The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> notched up another record close of 12,510.57 points. Equity gains kept pressure on euro zone government bonds, which fell on Wednesday after the housing data suggested the Federal Reserve might not cut interest rates sharply next year.... U.S. data on Thursday include consumer confidence, existing home sale and the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index. Oil inventories data will also be eyed after warm weather in the U.S. northeast dampened demand for heating oil, pushing prices down to close to $60 a barrel on Wednesday. Prices steadied on Thursday with weekly inventories expected to show a draw in crude supplies and build in other products. Currency markets were also little moved ahead of the U.S. data, with the euro slightly firmer against both the dollar and the yen. The euro was at $1.3140 and 156.25 yen . The dollar was flat against the yen at 118.90 . "What is still very prevalent in the market is whether the data is weak enough to trigger a Fed rate cut any time soon," Bank of America currency strategist Kamal Sharma said. "The data is relatively robust at the moment ... but the key will be the FOMC statement on January 31. If the Fed does signal a more balanced outlook then that could be the catalyst for the dollar to come under further pressure," he said http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyid=2006-12-28T110824Z_01_L22392060_RTRUKOC_0_US-MARKETS-GLOBAL.xml&src=rss&rpc=23 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.