* S&P 500, Nasdaq indexes hit record highs
* Mexico, U.S. seen closer to NAFTA deal
* German business sentiment brightens (New throughout, updates prices, market activity and comments to U.S. stock market open; new byline, changes dateline, previous LONDON)
By Trevor Hunnicutt
NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - An index of major world stock markets rose to its highest level in more than five months on Monday following signs of progress on a U.S.-Mexico trade deal and reassuring comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve chief.
MSCI's gauge of stocks in 47 countries across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained 0.91 percent, helped by gains in developed markets from the United States to Europe and Asia. The broad index was at its highest level since March 15.
The benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq indexes hit a record, bond prices fell and and prices for oil and copper rose as U.S. and Mexican trade negotiators were seen as close to reaching a common position on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a pact that also includes Canada. An agreement could ease concerns about an escalation in global trade tensions. currencies gained against the U.S. dollar, which has been a safe haven from months of trade tensions.
"The (NAFTA) talks add to the sense that while the U.S. is still bogged down in its trade conflict with China, it is perhaps more willing to compromise elsewhere such as with Mexico and the EU," said Ulrich Leuchtmann, head of FX and emerging market research at Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) in Frankfurt.
"It's decreasing the risk of a global trade war."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 221.18 points, or 0.86 percent, to 26,011.53, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 20.7 points, or 0.72 percent, to 2,895.39 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 69.67 points, or 0.88 percent, to 8,015.65.
The S&P and Nasdaq indexes both hit record highs, continuing a run that followed Fed chief Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday. Powell affirmed that the U.S. central bank was sticking with its strategy of gradual rate hikes. The gains on Friday cemented the S&P's longest-running bull market. stronger-than-expected German business sentiment survey added to the upbeat mood in Europe. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 rose 0.56 percent while British markets are closed for a public holiday. have low volumes today, but the biggest risks the market were discounting were trade wars, so any reduction in trade war risk such as NAFTA talks or even Trump trying to find bilateral deals with everyone, has pushed U.S. shares to new records and will support markets," said Angelo Meda, head of equities and a portfolio manager at Banor SIM in Italy.
"The global economy is on track, there's less trade war risk, the only cloud on the horizon is Italy," Meda added, referring to upcoming budget talks in the weeks ahead.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last fell 4/32 in price to yield 2.8405 percent, from 2.826 percent late on Friday.
In currency markets, the dollar steadied after weeks of gains in the face of aggressive Fed rate hikes and trade disputes. The dollar index .DXY fell 0.2 percent.
China's yuan hit a near-4-week high to the dollar after the central bank revived a "counter-cyclical factor" in its daily fixing to support the currency, giving hopes that Beijing might halt a record 10-week slide that rattled global markets. yuan traded offshore CNH=D3 rose to a high of 6.7818, its strongest since July 31, but later pared gains.
Commodity markets showed signs of cheerfulness about global economic growth prospects. U.S. crude CLcv1 rose 0.2 percent to $68.86 per barrel and Brent LCOcv1 was last at $76.11, up 0.38 percent on the day. O/R Copper CMCU3 rose 1.38 percent to $6,069.00 a tonne.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ MSCI World stock index
https://reut.rs/2Nkf2Ow MSCI All Country World Index Market Cap
http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j Global assets in 2018
http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl Global currencies vs. dollar
http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh Emerging markets in 2018
http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
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