Global stocks rose for a seventh day and U.S. equity-index futures rallied as investors bet slower hiring in the world’s largest economy may delay a tapering of Federal Reserve stimulus. Aluminum hit a decade high amid political unrest in Guinea.
MSCI Inc.’s gauge of world stocks gained for a fourth day even as U.S. markets were closed for Labor Day. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose the most in six weeks, led by technology shares. Contracts on the S&P 500 Index climbed 0.2%. Aluminum supplier Norsk Hydro ASA jumped to a 13-year high in Oslo. Gold bounced between losses and a gain of 1.9%.
The latest U.S. jobs report threw traders’ calculations awry after they braced for an announcement of tapering at the Fed’s September meeting. The world’s largest economy added only 235,000 jobs in August — the smallest gain in seven months — boosting chances of a delay in that announcement.
“Expectations of a delay in Fed tapering as well as a new administration in Japan is supporting equity markets and we expect this to continue,” said Sebastien Galy, senior macro strategist at Nordea Investment Funds.
