Bloomberg - Global stocks rallied to the highest level in almost six years as Apple Inc. (AAPL) jumped and the International Monetary Fund indicated it would raise its outlook for the American economy.

The MSCI All-Country World Index rose 0.6 percent at 4 p.m. in New York, the highest closing since January 2008. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.5 percent to a record. The Nasdaq Composite Index (CCMP) surged 1.1 percent as technology stocks rallied. Natural gas touched the highest level since July 2011 on speculation over a cold start to the new year. China’s seven-day repurchase rate was the highest since June 20 and the yuan closed at the most since 1993. Futures contracts on Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.5 percent as of 5:22 p.m. New York time.

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