Global Stocks Higher Friday            05/10 06:32

   Global shares traded higher Friday after a rally on Wall Street that pulled 
the S&P 500 back within 1% of its record.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares traded higher Friday after a rally on Wall 
Street that pulled the S&P 500 back within 1% of its record.

   In London, the FTSE 100 rose 0.8% to 8,448.34 as the government reported 
that the British economy bounced back strongly in the first three months of the 
year, bringing to an end to what economists termed a "technical recession."

   France's CAC 40 gained 0.8% in early trading to 8,253.19, while Germany's 
DAX added 0.8% to 18,830.43.

   The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3% while that for 
the S&P 500 rose 0.4%.

   Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to finish at 38,229.11.

   The Japanese Finance Ministry reported a record current account surplus for 
the fiscal year through March, as strong auto exports whittled down its trade 
deficit and the nation racked up solid returns on overseas investments.

   Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4% to 7,749.00 and South Korea's Kospi added 
0.6% to 7,749.00.

   Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 2.3% to 18,963.68, while the Shanghai Composite 
was little changed, inching up less than 0.1% to 3,154.55.

   Chinese price data, expected Saturday, are being watched to see if the 
economy might be regaining momentum.

   "Despite efforts, China has grappled with consumer deflation for about a 
year, presenting a formidable challenge that Beijing has yet to overcome," said 
Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.

   On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 0.5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 
gained 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite added 0.3%.

   Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last week that the central bank 
remains closer to cutting its main interest rate than hiking it, despite a 
string of stubbornly high readings on inflation this year.

   A cooler-than-expected jobs report on Friday has suggested the U.S. economy 
could manage to avoid being either too hot or too cold.

   In other trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 48 cents to $79.74 a barrel in 
electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the 
international standard, added 41 cents to $84.29 a barrel.

   The U.S. dollar rose to 155.71 Japanese yen from 155.50 yen.

   The weak yen has been both a blessing and a worry for Japan, as it helps 
boost export earnings but chips away at purchasing power.

   Expectations are growing for the Bank of Japan to start raising interest 
rates, although how much exactly and when remain unclear. The U.S. dollar was 
trading at 130 yen levels a year ago.

   The euro inched up to $1.0786 from $1.0782.