Shares flirt with record highs on ECB easing bets

Global shares flirted with an all-time peak on Thursday while German bond yields held at the lowest levels in a year on bets the European Central Bank would unveil new stimulus measures next week. ECB policymakers have opened the door to a rate cut, effectively charging banks to hold cash at the central bank overnight, and to a refinancing operation aimed at supporting businesses when its board meets on June 5. The MSCI World Index, which tracks stocks from developed economies and has gained 1.4 percent since the last ECB policy meeting, was up 0.1 percent, a whisker away from an all-time high set on Wednesday. "At least a rate cut is in the price (of the euro and stocks)," said Joost van Leenders, investment specialist for allocation and strategy at BNP-Paribas Investment Partners.

via Business News - Yahoo Finance http://ift.tt/1nYK7Ey