U.S. STOCKS, BONDS

US stocks soared to new closing records after a strong US jobs report revived confidence in the economic recovery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 142.38 (0.96 per cent) to 14,973.96 on Friday, after having breached the 15,000 mark earlier for the first time.

The S&P 500 finished at 1614.42, up 16.83 (1.05 per cent), also setting a new record and crossing the 1600 mark for the first time. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index ended at 3378.63, up 38.01 (1.14 per cent).The rise followed a US Labor Department report that showed the US economy added 165,000 jobs in April, well above market expectations. Upward revisions for the prior two months also showed 114,000 more jobs were added than initially estimated.

EUROPEAN STOCKS, BONDS

European stock markets closed the week with strong gains, including a record in Frankfurt, owing to upbeat US jobs figures that augured well for the world's biggest economy and its trading partners.

The DAX 30 index of leading German shares jumped on Friday by 2.02 per cent to an all-time high of 8122.29 points while in London, the FTSE 100 index added 0.94 per cent to 6521.46 points. In Paris the CAC 40 jumped 1.40 per cent to 3912.95 points, its highest closing level since July 8, 2011.The euro climbed to $US1.3110 from $US1.3063 late on Thursday in New York.

ASIA-PACIFIC STOCKS, BONDS

Asian markets mostly rose, aided by a European Central Bank interest rate cut aimed at stimulating growth in the sluggish eurozone and a positive US jobless claims report. Seoul closed 0.43 per cent, or 8.50 points, higher at 1,965.71, Shanghai ended up 1.44 per cent, or 31.38 points, at 2,205.50 and Hong Kong rose 0.10 per cent, or 21.66 points, to 22,689.96. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.

THE NZX 50 Index fell 0.66 per cent, or 30.14 points, to 4,544.32.

The Australian market looks set to open higher following strong gains on Wall Street after better-than-expected US jobs figures. At 0757 AEST on Monday, the June share price index futures contract was up 56 points at 5,183.In economic news on Monday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases the retail trade figures for March, while the TD Securities inflation gauge, the Dun and Bradstreet business expectations survey, and the ANZ jobs figures are also due to be released. No major equities news is expected., the market on Friday closed flat as investors reap profits from booming bank stocks and some worries about global growth. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up half a point at 5,129.5 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 1.30 points at 5,105.00 points.

COMMODITIES

Oil prices surged after an unexpectedly upbeat US jobs report eased concerns about the strength of the world's largest economy and major energy consumer. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for June, settled at $US95.61 a barrel on Friday, up $US1.62 from Thursday's closing level.

The European benchmark, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in June, rose $US1.34 to $US104.19 a barrel in London trade. Both contracts extended Thursday's sharp gains above $US3, when investors cheered the European Central Bank's quarter-point reduction in it benchmark interest rate, to a record low of 0.50 per cent.

Oil and equities rallied after the US Labor Department reported the United States added 165,000 jobs in April, well above expectations, and unemployment edged down to 7.5 per cent.

Gold futures ended slightly lower as investors weighed the continued demand for physical gold against brighter economic data, which could curb interest in gold over the longer term. The most actively traded contract, for June delivery, settled down $US3.40, or 0.2 per cent, at $US1,464.20 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract is up 0.7 per cent on the week.Gold had plunged to $US1,455.40 a troy ounce after monthly data showed consistent growth in the US labour market.

Copper led the London Metal Exchange (LME) to a stellar close, after the European Central Bank's (ECB) rate cut and upbeat US employment data spurred a massive short-covering rally in the recently heavily sold base metals.

At the close of open-outcry trading, LME three-month copper was up some 6.2 per cent on the day at $US7,270 a metric ton, having been dragged out of a bear market by a strong surge of short-covering aided by a stronger euro, heightening the appeal of the US dollar-denominated metals to euro holders.

Trading volumes also increased having been thinner early in the week due to a public holiday in top metals consumer China, which accounts for 40 per cent of global copper demand. Compiled from MORRISON SECURITIES PTY.LTD.