GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks shrug off Trump's stimulus threat

In Europe, the STOXX index ended 1.1% higher after reports that Britain and the European Union were close to a trade agreement after difficult, protracted negotiations, with a year-end deadline looming. MSCI's gauge of global stocks in turn rose 0.38%.On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 114.32 points, or 0.38%, to 30,129.83, the S&P 500 gained 2.75 points, or 0.07%, to 3,690.01 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 36.80 points, or 0.29%, to 12,771.11.

NEW YORK: Stocks rose on Wednesday as investors waved away a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump not to sign a bill including nearly US$900 billion in pandemic relief, while the British pound soared on rising expectations of a Brexit trade deal.

In a video posted on Twitter, Trump said the stimulus package, agreed upon after months of wrangling in Congress, was "a disgrace" and that he wanted to increase "ridiculously low" $600 payments for individuals to $2,000.