* China, U.S. factory PMIs improve
* European stocks post best daily gain in over a month
* U.S. 3-month and 10-year yield curve steepens above zero
By Chuck Mikolajczak
NEW YORK, April 1 (Reuters) - Global stocks rallied on Monday, kicking off the second quarter on a strong note, as investors cheered upbeat factory activity data in China and the United States and signs of progress on the U.S.-China trade front.
Major U.S. indexes were higher as the S&P 500 expanded on its best first quarter since 1998. Data showed China's manufacturing sector surprisingly returned to growth for the first time in four months in a sign government stimulus measures were taking root. data indicated manufacturing activity improved in March while construction spending for February increased. That was enough to overshadow an unexpected drop in February retail sales. Chinese numbers bounced back, and people are taking more risk today because of it," said Michael O'Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading in Greenwich, Connecticut.
European stocks also rallied, notching their best day since Feb. 15, helped by gains in auto shares, on the heels of their best quarterly performance in three years. Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 329.67 points, or 1.27 percent, to 26,258.35, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 32.79 points, or 1.16 percent, to 2,867.19 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 99.59 points, or 1.29 percent, to 7,828.91.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 1.21 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained 1.10 percent, on track for its best day in about three weeks.
Investors were also encouraged by recent trade developments. China's State Council said on Sunday the country would continue to suspend additional tariffs on U.S. vehicles and auto parts after April 1 in a goodwill gesture following a U.S. decision to delay tariff hikes on Chinese imports. signals from bond markets have raised warning flags among investors about the possibility of a slowdown in the global economy. Yields on short-dated government bonds in the U.S. had fallen below those of longer-dated bonds, known as yield curve inversion and which has preceded every major recession.
The 3-month-to-10-year yield spread US3MT=RR US10YT=RR has since pulled back from negative territory and stood around 11 basis points, a two-week high, on the heels of the manufacturing data.
The U.S. Treasury market posted its biggest one-day sell-off in three months on Monday. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last fell 24/32 in price to yield 2.4991 percent, from 2.414 percent late on Friday. the retail sales data was weak enough to keep the dollar in check, as the greenback was slightly lower against a basket of major currencies. dollar index .DXY fell 0.02 percent, with the euro EUR= down 0.08 percent to $1.1207.
Sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.3114, up 0.63 percent on the day as Parliament will again try to take control of Britain's departure from the European Union. Some lawmakers hope to force Prime Minister Theresa May to drop her Brexit strategy and pursue close economic ties with the bloc. climbed more than 2 percent, with U.S. crude futures hitting a 2019 high on Monday after tight supply and positive signs for the global economy drove both benchmarks' largest first-quarter gains in nearly a decade. crude CLcv1 settled up 2.41 percent at $61.59 per barrel and Brent LCOcv1 was settled at $69.01, up 2.12 percent.
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