Despite the third wave in Europe, concerns over the AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) (NASDAQ:AZN) vaccine, and reported worries about an incoming slowdown in the UK’s vaccination programme, yesterday’s IMF growth upgrades have helped keep the markets feeling fresh.
As it did on Tuesday, the FTSE 100 led the way after the bell, adding another 0.8%. Touching 6,875, the index is at a near-3-month high – and if it can add another 40 or so points in the coming days, it will hit its best levels in over 13-months.
While its gains were half of that of its blue-chip big brother, the FTSE 250’s 0.4% rise put it above 22,000 for the first time in history. That, more so than the gains made by the multinational-focused FTSE 100, is a sign of investor optimism over a post-Covid recovery in the UK.
Sitting around 130 points off its own record highs, the DAX crept up by 0.1% after the bell, while the CAC and IBEX 35 rose 0.2% apiece.
As for the Dow Jones, after dipping last night, the index is aiming for a timid 0.1% increase when US trading begins later today. Those gains could grow ahead of the open, however, given Joe Biden’s promise that the vaccine would be available to everyone in the US by April 19th, roughly a fortnight ahead of schedule.
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