US sharemarkets lifted following news of progress made by biotech, Moderna, on a COVID-19 vaccine. News on a potential vaccine from the University of Oxford could also be announced on Thursday.
Economic data also encouraged investors. Travel-related stocks rose between 7-20%. Shares in Goldman Sachs rose 1.4% after it said trading revenue doubled in the second quarter. The Dow Jones index rose by 228 points or 0.9%. The S&P500 rose by 0.9%; the Nasdaq rose by 62 points or 0.6%.