Global Stock Bulls Still Running, but a Bit More Tired-Reuters Poll<br />BENGALURU — Global stock markets will rise further in 2018, even as the era of low inflation, bond yields and volatility has come to an end and the rocket fuel behind a bull run<br />that began in 2009 is running dry, a Reuters polls of strategists showed.<br />While world stock markets enjoyed a record 15-month winning streak in January on strong economic growth<br />and solid company earnings, they plunged earlier this month as U. S. Treasury yields soared to a four-year high on fears interest rates will rise faster than expected.<br />Twenty-seven of 81 respondents said it will roughly average 10-15 percent, 44 said 15-20, eight said 20-25 and two said 25-30 percent.<br />[ECILT/US] [CA/POLL] [ECILT/GB][ECILT/EU]<br />Bond yields have climbed and stocks have been reined in somewhat on concerns<br />that inflation will pick up and U. S. government borrowing will surge to fund a budget shortfall after the Trump administration’s tax cuts and new spending plans.<br />Volatility spiked during the deep sell-off in equities and all<br />but one of 82 specialists who answered a separate question said the CBOE Volatility index this year will stay above its average of 11 percent over the past year.
