France's CAC 40 edged 0.3% higher in early trading to 6,150.27. Germany's DAX added 0.1% to 15,227.91. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.9% to 6,885.98. U.S. shares were set for gains, with the future for the Dow industrials up nearly 0.1% at 33,341.50. S&P 500 futures gained 0.1% to 4,067.88.
The International Monetary Fund said it expects global economic growth to accelerate this year as vaccine distribution ramps up and the world rebounds. The 190-country lending agency said it expects the world economy to expand 6% in 2021, up from the 5.5% it had forecast in January. That would be the fastest expansion in IMF records dating back to 1980.
Toshiba Corp. said it was seeking more details on the proposal, giving it "careful consideration" and would make an announcement "in due course." The Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reported that CVC Capital Partners was looking into acquiring the company for 2 trillion yen . Recent market gyrations mostly reflect varying assessments of the health and speed of the recovery from the pandemic.