Global Shares Surge Tuesday            02/03 04:50

   Global shares surged on Tuesday, led by a nearly 7% jump in South Korea's 
benchmark and a 3.9% rally in Tokyo that took the Nikkei 225 to a record as 
investors bought tech-related shares.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares surged on Tuesday, led by a nearly 7% jump in 
South Korea's benchmark and a 3.9% rally in Tokyo that took the Nikkei 225 to a 
record as investors bought tech-related shares.

   France's CAC 40 gained 0.6% in early trading to 8,232.71, while the German 
DAX surged 1.0% to 25,053.90. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.2% to 10,361.21.

   The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones 
Industrial Average rose 0.1%.

   Markets are awaiting earnings reports from major companies to gauge the 
impact of various trends including U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and 
possible curbs on rare earths exports from China.

   Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 climbed 3.9% to finish at 54,720.66, its 
highest close ever. Shares in equipment maker Disco Corp. jumped 7.4% while 
those in testing equipment maker Advantest gained 7.1%.

   Share prices have been boosted by expectations that Prime Minister Sanae 
Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party will regain a significant majority in the 
parliament in a Feb. 8 election, ushering in more market-friendly policies. 
Some analysts warn the Japanese yen may weaken further if Takaichi boosts 
government spending, presenting hardships for consumers and some companies.

   In South Korea, the Kospi gained 6.8% to 5,288.08, also a record. Investors 
appeared to regain confidence after the latest scare over a possible bubble in 
artificial intelligence as shares in Samsung Electronics Co. soared 11.4% while 
those in chip maker SK Hynix rocketed up 9.3%.

   Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2% to 26,834.77, while the Shanghai Composite 
added 1.3% to 4,067.74.

   Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.9% to 8,857.10. Australia's central bank 
raised its benchmark policy rate for the first time in two years, citing higher 
inflation than anticipated before it last cut rates.

   On Monday, the S&P 500 added 0.5%, snapping a three-day losing streak. The 
Dow industrials rose 1.1% and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.

   Gold gained 6.7% on Tuesday, while silver's price rebounded nearly 14%.

   Gold and silver prices have surged as investors search for safer things to 
own at a time of uncertainty over the status of the Federal Reserve, which may 
be set to become less independent, a U.S. stock market that critics say is 
expensive, threats of tariffs and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide.

   Their prices cratered on Friday, including a 31.4% plunge for silver. Some 
on Wall Street saw it as a result of President Donald Trump's nomination of 
Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Fed.

   The Fed's chair has a big influence on the economy and markets worldwide by 
helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. That 
affects prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S. 
job market humming without letting inflation get out of control.

   In other dealings early Tuesday, benchmark U.S. crude fell 4 cents to $62.10 
a barrel. Brent crude shed 13 cents to $66.17 a barrel.

   The U.S. dollar declined to 155.52 Japanese yen from 155.61 yen. The euro 
cost $1.1819, up from $1.1791.