In Asian Equity Markets stocks advanced on Wednesday and U.S. long-dated bond yields edged up to a five-month high on rising optimism about the global economy and corporate earnings, while the yen fell to a four-year low on the dollar. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan arose 0.65 percent, led by 1.3 percent gains in Hong Kong, while Japan’s Nikkei was almost flat and so were mainland Chinese shares, weighed down by more weak data on the property sector. The broader Topix inched up 0.05 percent to 2,027.67.

In Currency Markets the dollar and yen were under pressure on Wednesday from a global equity rally that sapped demand for assets regarded as safe havens. The dollar climbed as high as 114.585 yen for the first time since November 2017. The euro added 0.15 percent to $$1.1649 from Tuesday. Sterling rose 0.16 percent to $1.3810 after touching a one-month peak of $1.3834 in the previous session. The Aussie traded 0.31percent higher at $0.7500, after touching the highest since July 7 at $0.7505. New Zealand’s kiwi dollar climbed 0.32 percent to $0.7177.

In US Equity Markets closed higher on Tuesday with the biggest boosts from the technology and healthcare sectors as investors appeared to bet on solid quarterly reports even as some worried that it was too early to celebrate. The Dow rose 0.56 percent, to 35,457.31, the S&P 500 gained 0.74 percent, to 4,519.63 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.71 percent, to 15,129.09. Helping the healthcare sector on Tuesday was drugmaker Merck & Co Inc, which rose 3 percent while Pfizer Inc climbed 1.9 percent following the release of a competitor’s COVID-19 drug study results.

In Commodities Markets oil prices climbed and were near multi-year highs on Tuesday as an energy supply crunch continued across the globe. Brent crude rose 75 cents to settle at $85.08 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 52 cents to settle at $82.96. Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,769.94 per ounce. Among other precious metals, platinum rose 0.6 percent to $1,041.50 per ounce and palladium jumped 4.2 percent to $2,100.15 per ounce. Spot silver rose 2.7 percent to $23.80 per ounce and touched a more than one-month high.

In European Equity Markets some positive earnings and defensive buying kept Europe’s main stock index in the black on Tuesday, helping offset losses in Sweden’s Ericsson and French consumer goods giant Danone after downbeat results. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.3 percent. German reinsurer Munich Re rose 2.6 percent after doubling its profit in the third quarter. Gains in UK’s FTSE 100 were capped by British Airways owner IAG after the UK aviation regulator said Britain’s biggest airport Heathrow will not be permitted to raise passenger charges by as much as it had wanted.

In Bond Markets the U.S. Treasury yield curve widened on Tuesday, as investors unwound flattening moves of the last few sessions after global central banks dampened expectations of near-term tightening that spilled over to the world’s largest bond market. In afternoon U.S. trading, U.S. 10-year yields were last up nearly six basis points at 1.6407 percent. It hit a 4-1/2-months peak of 1.6440 percent. U.S. 20-year and 30-year yields rose to one-week highs and were last up at 2.0684 percent and 2.0897 percent, respectively.