Indexes rose Thursday on a surprise fall in jobless claims and pledges of further stimulus in China ahead of key inflation data.

World shares have surged following reports that China plans to spend billions of dollars to help rebuild the capital of state-run banks and provide other fiscal support for the economy.

At least, that was the case as of Tuesday’s close, when the U.S. benchmark saw its year-to-date advance top 20% for the first time since the start of 2024, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The achievement happened to coincide with the index’s 41st record close of the year.