* Stocks bounce on China, EU data and bank rules pact
* Wall Street set for fourth straight winning session
* Dollar slumps and euro up 1.2 percent
(Updates with U.S. markets, changes byline, dateline, previous
LONDON)
By Al Yoon and Jeremy Gaunt
NEW YORK/LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - World stocks surged to
a one-month high on Monday, driven by robust economic news from
China and relief that new global bank rules would not mean a
rush to raise billions of dollars in extra capital.
The European Commission also sharply upgraded its forecasts
for euro zone and broader European growth.
Taken together, the news assuaged some of the most
trenchant concerns among investors at the moment -- those of
stuttering economic growth and over the health of the global
financial sector.
World stocks as measured by both MSCI <.MIWD00000PUS> and
Thomson Reuters <.TRXFLDGLPU> climbed more than 1 percent to
the highest since Aug. 10. The MSCI emerging market benchmark
<.MSCIEF> rose nearly 2 percent at a 4-1/2 month high.
U.S. indexes are headed for a fourth straight winning
session and the eighth day of gains out of nine for the S&P 500
and Dow.
The Dow Jones industrial average <> jumped 94.75
points, or 0.91 percent, to 10,557.52. The Standard & Poor's
500 Index <.SPX> rose 12.63 points, or 1.14 percent, to
1,122.18 and the Nasdaq Composite Index <> increased 33.79
points, or 1.51 percent, to 2,276.27.
In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 <> gained 0.74
percent and Japan's Nikkei <> closed up 0.9 percent.
Asia emerging market growth has been a major filip to the
rest of the world this year, making up for a somewhat moribund
U.S. economic performance. Numbers on Saturday showed China
factories increased production in August and money growth
easily topped analysts' expectations.[]
That was part of a mixed, but generally growth-positive
message showing the economy remained buoyant despite Beijing's
efforts to clamp down on bank lending and property
speculation.
"The good economic news out of China is leading to some
renewed optimism on the economic front," said Andre Bakhos,
director of market analytics at Lek Securities in New York.
"This appears to be spurring a renewed interest in equities
as investors start recognizing a recently neglected asset class
that's offering a value element."
Global regulators on Sunday also eased fears that lenders
would have to raise capital over the next year or so, agreeing
to a long phase-in period to new requirements, known as Basel
III, that require banks to hold top-quality capital totaling 7
percent of their risk-bearing assets. []
The European Commission, meanwhile, almost doubled its
forecast for this year's euro zone growth, adding to a chunk of
data signs in the past month which have shown the European
upturn may be stronger than earlier expected.
In its twice-yearly interim economic forecasts for the 16
countries using the euro, it said it expected the group to grow
1.7 percent this year, up from 0.9 percent forecast in May and
a 4.1 percent contraction in 2009.
"Risks of double dip (recession) straight away are clearly
low. People have probably got over-worried in August that the
end of the world is nigh," said Michael Dicks, head of research
and investment strategy at Barclay's Wealth.
Another technology sector acquisition added to the positive
tone in the U.S.
Hewlett-Packard Co <HPQ.N> said it would buy cybersecurity
company ArcSight Inc <ARST.O> for $1.5 billion, the latest in a
series of technology-sector transactions. ArcSight surged more
than 25 percent to $43.92, and HP edged higher by 0.1 percent
to $38.25. []
DOLLAR DOWN
Despite all the concern around the U.S. recovery,
economists are still forecasting it will grow faster than
Europe, which will have to struggle with the impact of budget
cuts required to head off worries over rising public debt
across the bloc.[]
But the dollar has generally suffered as hopes for growth
globally improve, and it also suffered as the EU forecasts
improved views on the euro's prospects.
The euro rose 1.2 percent against the dollar to $1.2831.
The dollar lost 0.24 percent against the yen, to 83.96 yen.
"Better risk appetite is putting the dollar under pressure
and the euro and currencies like the Australian dollar have
been holding up very well," said Niels Christensen, currency
strategist at Nordea in Copenhagen.
The dollar was 0.73 percent lower against a basket of major
currencies <.DXY>. The currency tends to get hit when investors
buy riskier and therefore higher-yielding assets.
In government debt, long-dated U.S. Treasuries were little
changed but supported as bargain-hunting emerged. The bonds had
fallen seven out of past eight sessions, as they have been
deemed overvalued due to intense buying on fears of deflation
and a double-dip recession.
Benchmark 10-year Treasury note yields fell 0.01 percentage
point to 2.79 percent.
In commodities, U.S. light sweet crude oil <CLc1> rose
$1.46, or 1.91 percent, to $77.91 per barrel, and spot gold
<XAU=> fell 25 cents, or 0.02 percent, to $1245.70.
(Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr and Richard Leong in
New York and Jessica Mortimer in London)
(Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio)
