* Euro zone stocks hit highest since Feb 5
* World FX rates in 2018 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Global assets performance in 2018 https://tmsnrt.rs/2H7fSLp
* Real yield on U.S. 2Y Treasuries higher than S&P 500 dividends https://tmsnrt.rs/2JSYMCO
By Helen Reid
LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - Global stocks climbed to their highest in nearly four weeks on Wednesday as strong U.S. first-quarter earnings helped revive risk appetite, driving up equities and hauling the dollar out of its slump.
European stocks rose in early trading, pushing MSCI's index of world stocks .MIWD00000PUS up 0.2 percent to its highest since March 22. The top index of euro zone stocks .STOXX50E rose 0.4 percent to its highest since Feb. 5, when a spike in volatility amplified a sell-off in global equity markets.
A gauge of volatility on the EuroSTOXX 50 .V2TX fell to its lowest since Jan. 26, reflecting investors' renewed confidence in the resilience of equity markets. The S&P 500 volatility gauge .VIX hovered around a six-week low.
Analysts have downgraded their European earnings estimates ahead of the first-quarter results season, while U.S. companies are expected to deliver stellar results.
"Volatility has come down because expectations are very strong for the earnings season and the market is happy to see some hard data," said Laurent Godin, equity analyst at Indosuez Wealth Management.
Gains in Europe followed a strong bounce in Asian markets after four straight days of losses, while Chinese stocks tumbled even after the central bank unexpectedly announced it would cut the cash banks must hold as reserves. 500 futures ESc1 climbed 0.3 percent as investors awaited the next batch of U.S. results, with all eyes on Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) MS.N after Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) GS.N reported a surge in profits on strong trading gains.
The dollar index .DXY climbed 0.3 percent.
An unexpected fall in British inflation to a one-year low weighed on the pound and pushed up the FTSE 100 .FTSE stock index. The figures could lead investors to pull back bets that the Bank of England will raise interest rates in May. investors were refocusing on fundamentals after weeks dominated by geopolitical tensions, the latest Bank of America Merrill Lynch (NYSE:BAC) survey of fund managers showed signs of caution.
Investors cut their equity allocation to an 18-month low and increased their cash balances, while reducing their exposure to the highly-valued tech sector. like they were chasing the market up in January, investors have gradually started to sell," said Clark Fenton, chief investment officer at Agilis Investment Management.
"I think that gives the market scope to rally a bit more as positioning has lightened up."
TRANS-ATLANTIC YIELD GAP WIDENS, CURRENCIES MUTED
Fund managers named the threat of trade war as the biggest "tail risk" in BAML's survey, while they were less concerned about inflation causing convulsions in bond markets.
Monetary tightening, proceeding at a different pace on either side of the Atlantic, was making its mark on bond markets.
The gap between U.S. and German two-year bonds reached its widest in nearly 30 years, reflecting the diverging monetary policy outlook. US10YT=RR DE10YT=RR
"In some ways I am sort of surprised that it hasn't mattered more," said Fenton, referring to the trans-Atlantic divergence. "I would have thought it would have helped European equity prices more on a relative basis."
The gap between U.S. two-year and 10-year government bond yields widened slightly in early trading, having fallen to a low of 41.8 basis points overnight.
"I would worry if [the curve] got inverted," said Fenton, adding: "It's probably a bit premature to get too bent out of shape about it now."
The rise in short-dated yields has pushed the real yield on U.S. two-year treasuries above the S&P 500 dividend yield for the first time in 10 years. https://tmsnrt.rs/2JSYMCO
Currency market movements were restrained.
The euro was stuck at $1.2356 EUR= , after topping out at $1.2413 overnight, while the dollar index was barely moved at 89.538 .DXY .
The yen, which is pushed up in times of market stress, inched back to 107.34 against the dollar JPY= , helped by signs of progress in talks between South and North Korea. fell by a fraction, to $1,345.00 an ounce XAU= .
Strong metals prices, boosted by heightened concerns over aluminium supply after U.S. sanctions on Russian aluminium giant Rusal, helped send basic resources stocks higher. MET/L
Oil prices continued their relentless rise.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 50 cents at $72.07 a barrel, while U.S. crude CLc1 rose 48 cents to $67.00 a barrel. O/R
For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets open a news window on Reuters Eikon by pressing F9 and type in 'LIVE/' in the search bar
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