By Herbert Lash
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major U.S. and European equity indices rallied to multiyear or record highs on Thursday after a cease-fire between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, and surprisingly aggressive stimulus by Sweden's central bank, cheered global markets.
U.S. Treasury prices wavered as data showed a key measure of U.S. consumer spending barely rose in January and initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose more than expected, suggesting the economy started the first quarter on a softer note.
The Nasdaq Composite surged past multiyear highs reached in December to levels last seen in March 2000. The index was about 280 points from its all-time high set earlier that month marking the peak of the dot-com bubble. The benchmark S&P 500 closed just two points from its record closing high in December.
In Europe, shares reversed early losses on a broadly positive raft of results on one of the busiest days in the region's earnings calendar.
Even Greek stocks rose sharply, with the country's main index <.ATG> rising 6.7 percent as investors held out hope that the new Greek government could reach a deal with international creditors over the country's bailout.
Investors also took cues from the cease-fire in Ukraine that will take effect from Feb. 15, and the Riksbank's decision in Sweden to cut interest rates below zero and buy government debt.
"You have all these sort of overseas positives and two domestic negatives with the claims data and the retail sales data missing," said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors in New York.
The cease-fire deal came shortly after the International Monetary Fund announced a new four-year funding program for Ukraine that will total $40 billion.
MSCI's all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> rose 1.23 percent, while the FTSEuroFirst index of 300 leading shares <.FTEU3> rose 0.64 percent to close at 1,493.22, a level last reached more than seven years ago.
The S&P information technology sector <.SPLRCT> rose 1.64 percent in its third straight daily advance. Cisco Systems
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> closed up 110.24 points, or 0.62 percent, to 17,972.38. The S&P 500 <.SPX> rose 19.95 points, or 0.96 percent, to 2,088.48 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 56.43 points, or 1.18 percent, to 4,857.61.
Major European indexes hit multi-year highs, further boosted by encouraging corporate reports.
Sweden's benchmark OMXS30 <.OMXS30> equity index hit a record high, while Germany's DAX <.GDAXI> rose 1.6 percent to approach record levels and France's CAC <.FCHI> rose 1.0 percent to its highest in about seven years.
Sterling jumped after the Bank of England raised its UK growth and inflation forecasts, while Sweden's surprise policy decision sent the crown to a six-year low against the dollar.
Sterling rose 0.8 percent against the euro to a seven-year high of 73.715 pence
The SWEDISH (SWMA.ES)crown fell by as much 2 percent against the dollar to hit 8.5512 crowns
Elsewhere in currencies, the euro inched up 0.66 percent to $1.1406
The price of the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury was little changed to yield 1.9879 percent.
Prices on Germany's 10-year bund
Brent crude prices rose more than $2 after two days of declines, as a weakened dollar and industry spending cuts offset oversupply worries.
U.S. crude
(Reporting by Herbert Lash; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli, Andrew Hay and Chizu Nomiyama)
