GLOBAL MARKETS-ASIA SHARES SCORE 3-YEAR HIGH ON ECONOMIC OPTIMISM

SYDNEY, July 2 (Reuters) – Asian stocks scored a three-year peak on Wednesday after a round of upbeat global economic data whetted risk appetites and helped Wall Street taste all-time highs.

Dealers said fund managers were rotating money out of bonds and into equities for the start of the second half of the year, nudging up U.S. Treasury yields.

At the same time, the outlook for super-low rates in the major economies and an almost eerie absence of volatility across markets, encouraged investors to take on leveraged bets in search of higher returns – the so-called carry trade.

“Global equity and credit markets are feeling the tailwind of firmer activity data in the world’s largest economies, with the exception of the euro area,” analysts at Barclays wrote in a client note.

“Our global manufacturing confidence recovered from the declines in Q1, and aggregate forward-looking components suggest the improvement should last well into the second half.”

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan  .MIAPJ0000PUS gained 0.9 percent to 498.09, territory not visited since May 2011. Japan’s Nikkei  .N225 added 0.5 percent and notched up its loftiest level in more than five months.

The Dow and S&P 500 had both scored record closing highs on Tuesday, as did the MSCI world equity index  .MIWD00000PUS. The Dow  .DJI gained 0.77 percent and the S&P 500 .SPX 0.67 percent, while the Nasdaq  .IXIC put on 1.14 percent.

Top European shares  .FTEU3 ended up 0.85 percent, despite some disappointing manufacturing data from the region.

The economic news elsewhere was mostly bright with measures of manufacturing in China, Japan, the UK and United States all pointing to a pick-up in production. TOP/CEN

In an encouraging sign for consumer demand, U.S. auto sales almost reached 17 million annualised in June, way above forecasts and the strongest since 2006. (Full Story)

STERLING ON THE RISE

With money switching to riskier assets, bond prices gave up some of their recent gains. Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries ticked up to 2.57 percent  US10YT=RR, leaving behind last week’s lows near 2.50 percent.

Losses should be limited, however, given expectations the Federal Reserve will keep rates near zero well into next year.

Later on Wednesday, Fed chair Janet Yellen will appear at an event with International Monetary Fund Director Christine Lagarde and dealers generally assume she will stick to her recent dovish script.

In currencies, sterling was up at $1.7149 after bullish UK data sent it as far as $1.7167  GBP=D4 on Tuesday, its highest since October 2008.

Not far behind was South Korea’s won, which hit its highest in six years at 1,009.3 per dollar  KRW=. The rise prompted the authorities to warn the market against taking it too far, usually a prelude to intervention.

The U.S. dollar was dull in contrast, making only slight gains on both the euro  EUR= and yen  JPY=. Its currency basket index  .DXY inched up to 79.835 from a two-month trough of 79.740.

The Australian dollar was knocked off an eight-month peak when data showed the country’s trade deficit widened by far more than expected in May, leaving it at $0.9455  AUD=D4.

Gold  XAU= eased back a touch to $1,325.60 an ounce having hit a 2-1/2-month high of $1,332.10 on Tuesday. GOL/

Brent crude  LCOc1 lost 12 cents to $112.17 a barrel, while U.S. crude  CLc1 was quoted 5 cents firmer at $105.39. O/R