New York — Global stock prices posted record highs for a third straight session on Thursday, propelled by an oil rally after a surprise drop in US crude inventories and comments by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about pursuing significant tax reform. The dollar was bogged down a day after minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s January 31 -February 1 policy meeting showed the central bank was in no rush to raise interest rates. Treasury and Eurozone government bond yields declined as ECB policymakers also signalled they were not getting carried away by signs the Eurozone economy is gathering strength. This outlook for policy accommodation lifted gold prices to a three-month high near $1,250 an ounce. Equity markets around the world have advanced this year as traders bet on tax cuts, less regulation and more infrastructure spending from US President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress to bolster the US economy. Details on these stimulus programs have been sparse, ...
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