GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks advance as investors eye economic rebound, gold gains

(Adds latest numbers)
* MSCI's all-country world index gains, off record peak
* German yields hit highest since March 2020
* UK, Chinese, Japanese markets closed for holidays
* Graphic: Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
* Graphic: World FX rates http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Herbert Lash and Tommy Wilkes
NEW YORK/LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose and a
gauge of global equity markets was not far from a record on
Monday as investors remain bullish about the economic recovery
ahead of more corporate results and U.S. data that is expected
to underline the strength of the rebound.
The dollar eased against a basket of currencies as the yield
on Treasury bonds retreated on data showing U.S. manufacturing
activity grew at a slower pace in April. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note US10YT=RR traded
2.3 basis points lower at 1.6082% after a shortage of inputs
restrained factory output as massive fiscal stimulus and rising
vaccinations against COVID-19 unleashed pent-up demand.
The dollar index =USD slipped 0.3%, making gold more
affordable for holders of other currencies, while sliding
Treasury yields reduced the opportunity cost of holding
non-interest bearing gold.
In Europe, stocks closed higher after the European
Commission outlined plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on
tourism. Strong factory and retails sales data and a robust
earnings season added to investor optimism.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX closed up 0.6% and
MSCI's benchmark for global equity markets .MIWD00000PUS rose
0.36% to 704.37, about 0.5% shy of a record closing high hit
last week.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose
0.91% and the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.53%. The Nasdaq Composite
.IXIC dropped 0.29%.
A slide in high-flying tech and related stocks, including
Amazon.com Inc CRM.N , pressured the Nasdaq, as growth oriented shares .RLG
slid and cyclical stocks .RLV sensitive to the recovery rose.
Markets in China, Japan and Britain were closed for public
holidays, keeping trading volumes thin.
Earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to rise 46.3% in
the first quarter year over year, almost double the rate
forecast at the start of April, Refinitiv IBES data show.
Of the 303 companies that have reported so far, 87.1% have
beat analyst estimates, or more than 20 percentage points above
the long-term average, Refinitiv said.
German retail sales data for March came in far better than
expected, underlining that a U.S.-led economic rebound is now
gaining traction elsewhere.
But some economists think businesses may be getting ahead of
themselves and influenced more by the success and speed of
COVID-19 vaccination rollouts.
"The data has been unrealistically strong in recent months -
while the underlying economy is performing very well,
manufacturing growth is not quite at the stratospheric levels
the surveys imply," said UBS economist Paul Donovan.
A busy week for U.S. economic data is expected to show
resounding strength, particularly for the ISM manufacturing
survey and April payrolls.
Euro zone government bond yields reversed earlier gains to
track U.S. Treasuries lower on the U.S. manufacturing activity.
German benchmark 10-year yields fell 0.3 basis points to
-0.203%, rising earlier to their highest at -0.162% since March
2020.
The rise in Germany yields accelerated last week when German
inflation advanced further above the European Central Bank's
target, and U.S. data showed economic growth sped up in the
first quarter.
The dollar index =USD fell 0.335%, with the euro EUR= up
0.39% to $1.2065. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.13% versus the
greenback at 109.09 per dollar.
Spot gold prices XAU= rose 1.40% to $1,793.42 an ounce.
Cryptocurrency ether scaled a new record high above $3,000
ETH=BTSP as investors bet on increased adoption. Its 2021 gain
of 325% has eclipsed that of bigger rival bitcoin BTC=BTSP .
Oil rose more than 1% as Chinese economic figures and U.S.
vaccination rate pointed to a strong rebound in demand in the
world's two largest economies.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled up 80 cents at $67.56 a
barrel. U.S. crude futures CLc1 rose 91 cents to settle at
$64.49 a barrel.
U.S. gold futures GCv1 settled 1.4% higher at
$1,791.80 an ounce.

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Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
Ethereum hits record high, quadruples in value in 2021 https://tmsnrt.rs/3398mwf
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