Pharma stocks lead European rally

European stocks gained 2.1 per cent today, with defensive sectors such as pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and utilities leading a rally following last week's sharp losses.

The MSCI world equity index rose 0.3 per cent.

Equities have been pressured by growing concerns about the economy, given a string of weaker-than-expected economic data and the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe.

Investors also looked ahead to a speech by US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday at the central bank's annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Some investors hope the Fed will announce new stimulus after the central bank promised earlier this month to keep interest rates near zero for at least two more years, and said it would consider further steps to help growth. The Fed said US economic growth was proving considerably weaker than expected.

"This month has been about a lack of confidence, and if Bernanke announces the injection of additional stimulus, that will give the markets confidence that something is being done, which should at least decrease some of the volatility we've been seeing," said Tim Speiss, head of personal wealth advisors at EisnerAmper in New York.

S&P 500 futures rose 19 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 155 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 37.25 points.

The S&P has fallen more than 13 per cent so far in August, with volatility driving the index down at least 4 percent for six days over the past two weeks. Some investors believe the speed and size of the drops suggested the market could be oversold.

"Maybe the losses were too extreme of a reaction for some of the stocks that got hit," said Speiss. "The underlying fundamentals remain quite good on some names, and this gives us the chance to redeploy into some of those positions."

Libyan government tanks and snipers put up scattered, last-ditch resistance in Tripoli today after rebels swept into the heart of the capital, raising hopes the government of Muammar Gadafy might be toppled soon.

The end of Gadafy's 42-year rule could restart the flow of Libyan oil onto the market. Tensions in the Middle East and a spike in oil prices contributed to equity weakness earlier this year. September US crude futures rose 1.5 per cent, though Brent crude was down 1.1 per cent. Gold eased from earlier highs and was last about $1,861 an ounce.

About 45,000 striking Verizon Communications employees were set to go back to work tomorrow after the company and unions agreed to resume bargaining. Shares of the Dow component rose 1.6 per cent to $35.25 in premarket trading.

Wall Street ended a fourth straight down week, with losses of more than 1 per cent on Friday as most buyers left the market before the weekend. Growing fears of another US recession and destabilisation in Europe's financial system weighed on investors' minds.

Reuters