Global shares rise as gold hits record and earnings loom

World stocks rose on optimism about corporate earnings ahead of Apple's results, while gold climbed to record highs and oil prices gained amid U.S.-Iran tensions.

World stocks moved higher as investors held to hopes that corporate earnings will support markets, with attention on Apple's upcoming results. The U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and Chair Jerome Powell described a "clearly improving" outlook while not commenting on whether he will remain as a Fed governor after his term as Chair ends in May. Precious metals and oil saw notable gains amid risk and geopolitical concerns. Currency markets showed a softer U.S. dollar as investors weighed U.S. policy uncertainty. Key market moves: - Euro STOXX 600 rose 0.5 percent, with gains in Britain, Spain and France while German shares fell 0.6 percent. - The Fed held rates steady; investors cut the chance of another rate cut by April to 26 percent, with June seen as the next likely window. - Gold added 2.5 percent to trade at US$5,536 an ounce and was up about 28 percent for the month. - Brent crude rose 1.5 percent to US$69.44 a barrel and U.S. crude gained 1.7 percent to US$64.26 a barrel amid comments on Iran. - On Wall Street, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were about 0.3 percent higher; Microsoft shares slid 6.5 percent after concerns about capex returns and Meta rose about 8 percent after lifting its 2026 outlook. - Regional moves included MSCI's Asia-Pacific index little changed, South Korea up 0.6 percent (about 23 percent for January so far) and Taiwan up almost 13 percent for January; Indonesia fell after MSCI raised transparency concerns and Goldman Sachs cut its rating. - The U.S. dollar was around 96.17 against a basket of currencies, near a recent four-year low, while the euro was about US$1.1979 and the dollar eased versus the Swiss franc and Japanese yen. Summary: Equity markets were supported by hopes that corporate earnings will sustain investor interest, with Apple’s upcoming results in focus. Strong moves in gold and oil reflected flows into safe-haven and commodity assets and geopolitical notes; Fed policy outlook and leadership changes are additional factors to watch in the coming weeks.