- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
Stock markets climb as traders weigh interest rates outlook
Stock markets mostly moved higher on Thursday as banking sector worries eased and traders weighed central banks' interest rate plans in the wake of recent turmoil.
Investors have taken to heart reassurances by authorities around the world that the fallout from the collapse of US regional banks and the takeover of Credit Suisse has been contained.
"Worries about the banking industry continue to ease, offering support to the broader market," said market analyst Patrick O'Hare at Briefing.com.
Wall Street's main indices moved higher at the start of trading. European stock markets were up in afternoon deals, while Asian markets ended the day mostly higher.
The banking flare-up has fanned speculation the US Federal Reserve will have to end its inflation-fighting rate hike campaign sooner than expected in order to avoid further destabilising the finance industry.
Some investors now predict the central bank will cut borrowing costs by the end of the year -- some forecasts put the rate at just above four percent by 2024, compared with more than five prior to the recent upheaval.
That has focused eyes on the Fed's next policy meeting, with observers predicting that could mark the last increase, even though inflation is still much higher than its target.
"The Fed remains in a very difficult position," said Wolfe Research's Chris Senyek.
"With banks stabilising, inflation still way above target, the labour market still historically strong, and the Fed desperately needing to rebuild credibility, our sense is that the (policy board) will hike by 25 basis points on May 3."
US and eurozone inflation data due out Friday should provide a clearer idea of whether monetary policymakers will have more flexibility in terms of pausing rate hikes.
Data on Thursday showed inflation slowing to 7.4 percent in March in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, down from 8.7 percent in the two previous months.
Inflation eased to 3.3 percent in Spain.
Some analysts believe the latest woes among banks, which have been blamed on sharp increases in rates, will force them to tighten access to credit which will in turn reduce the need for the Fed to hike further.
"The good news for stocks is that growth concerns have moved into the driver's seat after the recent banking shock, where investors are now positioning for the Fed to cut and instead rely on credit tightening to tame inflation," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
"Indeed, speculative money is now betting... (that) the disinflationary impulse from tighter credit will reduce the need for monetary policymakers to slow the economy through rate hikes, which could potentially even cause the Fed to cut."
The softer outlook for future US interest rates weighed on the dollar, which was down against most of its major peers.
The weaker greenback also helped dollar-denominated oil prices reverse earlier losses.
Shares in British energy infrastructure group Petrofac soared 70 percent after it and Hitachi Energy secured a multi-billion-euro deal to expand offshore wind capacity in the Dutch-German North Sea.
The Hong Kong index rose as Alibaba extended gains after surging 12 percent Wednesday on news the Chinese tech giant intends to split into six units.
- Key figures around 1330 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 32,888.94 points
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 7,611.83
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.0 percent at 15,476.55
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,252.19
EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.0 percent at 4,273.99
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 27,782.93 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.6 percent at 20,309.13 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 3,261.25 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0920 from $1.0845 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2379 from $1.2316
Euro/pound: UP at 88.21 pence from 88.01 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 132.78 yen from 132.85 yen
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.7 percent at $78.85 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.1 percent at $73.74 per barrel
burs-rl/lth
M.Mendoza--CPN