economy To faster change

Global stocks rebounded Wednesday from recent hefty losses as investor sentiment was buoyed by a German court decision backing the country's participation in European bailouts as well as by forecast-busting industrial production figures.

Though the German court said the government has to consult lawmakers in future bailouts, the decision has helped remove one potential hurdle standing in the way of a comprehensive solution to Europe's debt crisis.

"A ruling in the German Constitutional Court to reject a series of lawsuits aimed at blocking German participation in eurozone bailouts was well received by the market," said Joshua Raymond, chief market strategist at City Index.

Further support came from the news that German industrial production surged by 4 percent in July. That more than offset the 1.1 percent decline in June and outstripped market expectations for a more modest 0.5 percent increase.

In Europe, Germany's DAX closed up 4.1 percent at 5,405.53 while France's CAC-40 rose 3.6 percent to 3,073.18. Britain's FTSE 100 index ended 3.1 percent higher at 5,318.59. The euro was also supported by the positive German news, trading 0.5 percent higher at $1.4073.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 1.8 percent at 11,342 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.2 percent to 1,191.30.

There's little in the way of U.S. economic news over the rest of the day though the Federal Reserve's assessment of economic conditions in the U.S. — the so-called Beige Book — could muster some interest, a day ahead of a keynote speech from President Barack Obama.

The president is set to outline measures to boost employment in the U.S. The unemployment rate stands at 9.1 percent after another disappointing month in August.

Concerns over the state of the U.S. economy have combined with fears over Europe's debt crisis over the past month to send financial markets spinning.

Newsflow connected to either will likely dominate markets for some time to come.

Investors will closely watch the European Central Bank's monthly interest rate decision and the subsequent press conference from its president Jean-Claude Trichet.

In the currency markets, traders were assessing the aftermath of the Swiss National Bank's surprise decision Tuesday to peg the national currency at 1.20 francs per euro in an attempt to rein in the export-sapping appreciation of the currency. It said it would use whatever resources it has available to maintain that ceiling.

The announcement prompted a 9 percent reverse in the value of the Swiss franc Tuesday. That retreat has held Wednesday, with the euro up 0.2 percent at 1.2094 francs in late afternoon trading. The dollar, which was similarly buoyed, was down 0.2 percent at 0.8597 franc.

Lee Hardman, an analyst at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, said the decision to announce a peg has initially helped support sentiment in the markets by potentially adding significant liquidity into financial markets.