Stocks and oil soar, dollar sinks as stimulus beckons

(Reuters) – Stocks scaled record heights, the dollar plumbed two-year lows and oil prices hit their strongest since March on Thursday, as monetary support and the hope of fiscal stimulus in the United States put traders in a festive mood. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4% to an all-time high. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.3% to sit just shy of a 29-year peak. 
December S&P 500 futures were one point short of a record top and, after the Nasdaq printed a record close on Wednesday, Nasdaq 100 futures climbed higher into uncharted territory on Thursday. European futures rose.