Amazing! Dow up 170 points! What a fast turnaround in sentiment - and some fundamentals. The Dow was up on news of faster-than-estimated growth in New York manufacturing, optimism the global economic recovery will be sustained.... Commodities rallied, with oil jumping the most in four months, as the dollar weakened
Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks jumped the most since November, oil rose and the yen fell on speculation Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke will say this week that U.S. interests rates will be kept low to spur economic growth. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 2.6 percent to 118.38 as of 12 p.m. in Tokyo, the most since Nov. 30, as Chinaââ¬â¢s financial markets reopened after a week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Futures on the Standard & Poorââ¬â¢s 500 Index gained 0.3 percent, oil rose for a fifth day to above $80 a barrel and the yen weakened against all of its 16 most-traded counterparts. ââ¬ÅMarkets were spooked last week by the U.S. Federal Reserveââ¬â¢s decision to lift the discount rate,ââ¬Â said Tim Schroeders, who helps manage $1.1 billion at Pengana Capital Ltd. in Melbourne. ââ¬ÅThe news on the U.S. consumer-price index is a net positive which should allow markets to push higher.ââ¬Â