Reuters
A gauge of global equity markets neared a record high on Friday in anticipation of central bank interest rate cuts and strong corporate earnings, while the dollar rose despite signs of slowing U.S. economic growth. Driving Wall Street higher are better-than-expected U.S. corporate results and the likelihood for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year, said Thomas Hayes, chairman and managing member at Great Hill Capital in New York. The dollar pared initial declines and turned modestly higher as investors assessed a reading on U.S. consumer sentiment and sifted through a flurry of comments from Fed officials.