In Asian Equity Markets stocks rose on Thursday as optimism over stronger-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence data boosted Wall Street indexes, providing a strong overnight lead-in for regional bourses. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rallied over 2 percent, while South Korea’s KOSPI and the Taiwan Weighted index added 1 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.4 percent. Chinese stocks lagged their regional peers, with the Shanghai Composite index falling 0.3 percent, while the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index rose 0.2 percent.

In Currency Markets the yen firmed on Thursday, returning towards a four-month peak against the dollar hit earlier in the week after the Bank of Japan’s surprise tweak to its bond yield control spurred bullish yen bets, while the dollar moved broadly lower. The yen rose about 0.5 percent to 131.85 per dollar. The Aussie climbed 0.66 percent to $0.6752, while the kiwi gained 0.26 percent to $0.6311. The euro was last 0.31 percent higher at $1.0638. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.3 percent to 103.92. Sterling rose 0.32 percent to $1.2123, partially reversing its 0.85 percent overnight fall.

In US Equity Markets main stock indexes closed higher on Wednesday for their biggest daily gains so far in December with help from upbeat Nike and FedEx quarterly earnings, as well as improving consumer confidence and easing inflation expectations from investors. The Dow rose 1.6 percent, to 33,376.48, the S&P 500 gained 1.49 percent, to 3,878.44 and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.54 percent, to 10,709.37. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc finished up 4.3 percent after the cinema-chain operator said it suspended talks to acquire certain assets of bankrupt Cineworld Group.

In Commodities Markets oil prices rose by more than $2 a barrel on Wednesday after data showed a larger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stockpiles, but gains were capped by a snowstorm that is expected to hit U.S. travel. Brent crude futures for February delivery were up by 2.76 percent, at $82.20 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 2.7 percent, to $78.29. Spot gold was steady at $1,817.95 per ounce. Spot silver fell 0.4 percent to $24.08 per ounce, platinum was down 0.8 percent to $999.11, while palladium fell 3.1 percent to $1,678.84.

In European Equity Markets stocks rose on Wednesday, as banks extended gains and upbeat results from Nike boosted the region’s battered retail sector, while improving economic outlook for the euro zone also lifted sentiment. The region-wide STOXX 600 index closed 1.7 percent higher.  Shares of Adidas and Puma rose 6.8 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, while London-listed JD Sports jumped 6.1 percent, lifting the retail index. Banks advanced 1.6 percent but were still on track for an annual loss, as fears of recession outweighed gains from rising interest rates.

In Bond Markets longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields were little changed on Wednesday as investors waited on inflation data due on Friday for further clues about whether price pressures are continuing to moderate. Benchmark 10-year note yields were steady on the day at 3.684 percent. They jumped as high as 3.722 percent overnight after the Bank of Japan on Tuesday surprised markets by widening the band of its yield curve control, a shift that some analysts said could make U.S. Treasuries less attractive to Japanese investors on a foreign exchange hedged basis. Two-year note yields fell 5 basis points to 4.215 percent.