Dow Today – Wall Street keeps the New Year’s champagne flowing By Reuters

By Lawrence Delevingne

BOSTON (Reuters) – Wall Street’s party to start the New Year extended into Tuesday, pushing U.S. stocks to fresh highs, echoing share gains in Europe and Asia, with oil and the dollar also climbing.

The gained 19.64 points, or 0.41%, to 4,816.2 — a fresh record — while the rose 209.72 points, or 0.57%, to 36,794.78.

The technology-heavy was more muted, adding 3.14 points, or 0.02%, to 15,835.94., a day after Apple Inc (NASDAQ:) became the first company to hit a $3 trillion stock market value.

Bullish indicators came from the World Health Organization, which said it saw more evidence that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing milder symptoms, and reports showing strong European and Asian manufacturing activity.

The Euro gained more than 1% to hit a record of 495.37 points, topping its previous all-time high scaled a day earlier. Asian stocks were on the front foot following Wall Street’s record highs on its first trading day of 2022, with MSCI’s gauge of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan up around 0.4%.

The U.S. dollar extended gains against Japan’s yen on Tuesday, hitting new five-year highs as investors bet that the Omicron coronavirus variant would have limited economic impact and that the Federal Reserve would hike rates.

The rose 0.124%, with the euro down 0.08% to $1.1285.

Benchmark rose to their highest level in six weeks on Tuesday, as a selloff in governments bonds resumed in the London trading session, as investors bet on a series of interest rate raises this year to combat rising inflation.

Benchmark 10-year notes last fell 12/32 in price to yield 1.67% in morning trading.

Oil prices rose again on Tuesday as OPEC+ agreed to stick to its planned increase in oil output for February, sources from the group told Reuters, because it expects the Omicron coronavirus variant to have a short-lived impact on demand.

recently rose 1% to $76.84 per barrel and was at $79.86, up 1.11% on the day.

Gold consolidated above the key $1,800 per ounce level on Tuesday, after a sharp retreat in the last session, as some investors sought cover from pandemic-led uncertainty, inflation and its likely impact on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate hike trajectory.

added 0.5% to $1,809.44 an ounce. U.S. gained 0.39% to $1,806.40 an ounce.