SINGAPORE -- Asian and European stock markets moved higher Wednesday on optimism President George Bush would win the U.S. election.
Asian markets moved higher with the Straits Times Index up 1.11 percent, the Kuala Lumpur's weighted Composite Index of 100 blue chip stocks up 0.5 percent, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index up 1.69 percent, Taiwan's TAIEX index up 1.8 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng up 0.7 percent.
Tokyo markets were closed Wednesday for the Culture Day holiday.
In mid-morning European trade, the Financial Times said bourses were well off their early highs. The FTSE Eurofirst 300, which hit a six-month high Tuesday, rose 0.2 percent to 1,018.61, the Xetra Dax in Frankfurt added 0.1 percent to 4,043.15, the Paris CAC-40 rose 0.1 percent to 3,768.81 and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.3 percent to 4,707.3.
Although the markets were still waiting for official confirmation Bush has won, attention is now likely to shift toward the U.S. October non-farm payrolls to be released Friday. Payrolls are expected to have grown by 200,000 in October, compared with September's 96,000 rise.
