US and European stocks hit record highs

Markets rose on Thursday.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent to a record high, the STOXX Europe 600 also rose 0.4 percent to a record high and the Nikkei 225 rose 0.9 percent.

A report in the US on Thursday showed that jobless claims totalled 269,000 for the week ended 30 October, the lowest in the pandemic era.

“This could stand as another proof point of solid gains when it comes to our economic recovery,” said Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy at E-Trade Financial.

In the UK, the Bank of England left its benchmark lending rate unchanged on Thursday, surprising many investors who had expected a rate hike.

David Madden, market analyst at Equiti Capital, said that “rates could remain on hold for some several months to come”.