Asian stocks rose on Friday, on course for a third week of gains, while the dollar was steady as fresh signs of an easing U.S. labour market stoked optimism around interest rate cuts this year ahead of next week's crucial inflation data. Sterling was steady at $1.2515, having touched a more than two-week low of $1.2446 on Thursday after Bank of England (BoE) paved the way for the start of rate cuts as soon as next month. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.66% and was on course for a nearly 1% gain for the week, its third straight week of gains.
Asian stocks rose on Friday, on course for a third week of gains, while the dollar was steady as fresh signs of an easing U.S. labour market stoked optimism around interest rate cuts this year ahead of next week's crucial inflation data. Sterling was steady at $1.2515, having touched a more than two-week low of $1.2446 on Thursday after Bank of England (BoE) paved the way for the start of rate cuts as soon as next month. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.66% and was on course for a nearly 1% gain for the week, its third straight week of gains.
World stocks rallied on Thursday, led by surging European shares and a larger-than-expected rise in U.S. weekly jobless claims that buoyed interest rate cut hopes, while the dollar eased as the market awaits key inflation data next week. Following a sluggish open, the major U.S. indices pulled higher with the Dow industrials rising for a seventh straight session.