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| - European and Asian stock markets climbed Friday after more records on Wall Street, with traders looking ahead to key US jobs data as optimism grows on the economic outlook thanks to slowing coronavirus rates and vaccine rollouts. The dollar was mixed, while oil prices continued gains on rising demand expectations as people return to more normal lives. Brent North Sea reached $59.75 per barrel to stand almost at pre-pandemic levels. Expectations that US President Joe Biden will be able to push through his vast stimulus for the economy is also boosting market confidence, according to analysts. There was meanwhile relief that the social media-fuelled buying frenzy that rattled markets last week had subsided. "Today sees a focus on US jobs once more, in a week that has already seen positive developments" on American employment, noted Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG trading group. "Any outperformance can be viewed as an early sign of recovery for the US economy." While virus infections and deaths remain high, investors are hopeful that a slowdown in rates, combined with vaccines will soon allow governments to begin easing containment measures. In the meantime, US lawmakers are expected to push through a new rescue package for the world's top economy. And while Republicans have baulked at Biden's $1.9 trillion plan -- and proposed one worth less than a third of that -- predictions are that the final bill will be more than one trillion dollars. "The tides of US stimulus raising all boats is providing the significant risk-on accelerant," said Axi strategist Stephen Innes. All three main indices on Wall Street ended more than one percent higher Thursday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 hitting records. On the corporate front Friday, Chinese short-video app company Kuaishou -- a major rival to TikTok -- nearly tripled on its market debut following a $5.4 billion initial public offering that was the biggest for an internet firm since Uber's May 2019 listing. London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 6,515.78 points Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.3 percent at 14,104.76 Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.0 percent at 5,664.34 EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.6 percent at 3,663.34 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.5 percent at 28,779.19 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.6 percent at 29,288.68 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,496.33 (close) New York - Dow: UP 1.1 percent at 31,055.86 (close Thursday) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1979 from $1.1962 at 2200 GMT Dollar/yen: UP at 105.62 yen from 105.52 yen Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3683 from $1.3666 Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.51 pence from 87.52 pence Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.0 percent at $59.13 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.0 percent at $56.79 per barrel dan-bcp/rfj/bmm
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