* Europe eyes longest winning streak in five months
* GDP data a chink of light in gloom
* Oil reversal cools rally, Wall St to open lower
By Jamie McGeever
LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - World shares and bond yields
rose on Wednesday as positive economic data from Australia to
the United States calmed fears of a global economic slowdown,
although the rally lost momentum in European trade as oil prices
reversed direction.
Asian stocks hit a two-month high, Japan's and China's main
indices both rose more than 4 percent, and European markets were
still in positive territory, putting them on track for their
longest winning streak in five months.
Investors shrugged off further signs of weakness in global
manufacturing, taking their cue instead from more encouraging
indicators, such as U.S. construction spending and Australian
and Swiss GDP.
Stocks and investor confidence rose even though expectations
rose that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later
this year 0#FF: , something that hasn't been in evidence much
in recent weeks.
"Markets are definitely in a period where good news equals
good news, with no immediate concern about what it might mean
for, say, Fed expectations," said Jim Reid, market strategist at
Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) in London.
The FTSEuroFirst index of leading 300 shares was up 0.2
percent at 1,335 points .FTEU3 , on track for its fifth
straight day of gains but off its earlier highs.
Germany's DAX .GDAXI and France's CAC .FCHI were both up
0.2 percent too. Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE was down 0.3
percent.
Investors also took heart from announcements by China
earlier this week of a cut in bank reserve requirements and
structural reforms to the world's second-largest economy.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 closed up 4 percent, Hong Kong's Hang
Seng Index .HSI rose 3 percent and China's main markets had
their best day so far this year, rising more than 4 percent
.SSEC .CSI300 .
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS rose 2.5 percent to its highest levels since
Jan. 7, and building on gains in the previous session.
MSCI's broadest gauge of the world's stock markets
.MIWD00000PUS also rose to highest level in almost two months.
STIMULUS HOPES
The Institute for Supply Management's index of U.S.
factory activity, a closely watched measure of American
manufacturing, rose more than expected last month. It
also edged up for two months in a row, apparently ending
its almost continuous decline since late 2014
U.S. construction spending rose to its highest since
October 2007 and solid GDP data from Canada and Australia and
Switzerland on Wednesday helped
The data helped lift the U.S. S&P 500 Index .SPX 2.39
percent to an eight-week high of 1,978.35. Stock futures pointed
to a lower open on Wall Street.
Even Moody's downgrade of its outlook on Chinese government
debt to "negative" from "stable" failed to puncture the renewed
sense of cautious optimism
If anything, investors are taking heart from the prospect of
more stimulus from Beijing in the coming weeks, as well as the
European Central Bank as early as next week.
"The countdown to the ECB meeting begins and the poor
inflation and core inflation numbers from the euro zone points
to more easing from (ECB president) Mario Draghi," said David
Madden, market analyst at IG in London.
Investors unwound bets in safe-haven assets such as
government bonds, with the 10-year U.S. Treasuries yield
US10YT=RR rising to a four-week high of 1.85 percent.
The 10-year German Bund yield rose nearly 5 basis points to
0.20 percent EU10YT=RR , although Germany auctioned five-year
bonds at a record low yield of -0.36 percent EU5YT=RR .
Gold slipped from its recent high to $1,230 an ounce XAU=
but is still up 16 percent so far this year. Similarly, oil
eased back on Wednesday but is till up more than 30 percent from
its lows struck just three weeks ago.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 1 percent to $36.48 a
barrel, after hitting an eight-week high of $37.25 on Tuesday.
U.S. crude futures CLc1 were down 2 percent at $33.74 a barrel
after hitting a one-month high of $34.76 on Tuesday.
The dollar rose to 114.40 yen JPY= , recovering further
from near 111 last month. The euro EUR= was steady near
Tuesday's one-month low of $1.08340, under pressure from the
expectations the ECB will step up monetary stimulus next week.
Markets were also keeping an eye on U.S. "Super
Tuesday", where Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary
Clinton took big steps toward securing their parties'
presidential nominations
Shanghai CSI 300 and global effects interactive https://t.co/YqIYLIbInP
Chinese A-shares vs developed and emerging stocks http://link.reuters.com/rac25w
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