SYDNEY: Asian shares advanced to record highs on Monday as successful coronavirus vaccine rollouts globally raise hopes of a rapid economic recovery amid new fiscal aid from Washington, while oil prices rose on heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The signals for Europe and the United States were positive too, with futures for eurostoxx 50 up 0.5%, those for Germany’s DAX rising 0.7% and London’s FTSE futures climbing 0.8%.
E-mini futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.5%, though U.S. stock markets will be closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 0.6% to 738.23, with all major indexes in the green.
Japan’s Nikkei climbed 1.9%, reclaiming the 30,000 point level for the first time in over three decades despite data showing the country’s recovery from its worst postwar recession slowed in the fourth quarter.
Australia’s benchmark index added 0.9%.
China and Hong Kong markets are shut for the Lunar New…