LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Thursday as encouraging coronavirus vaccine trials kept investors’ spirits up ahead of what was expected to be a record rebound in U.S.

Despite the ongoing rise in global virus cases, Asian equity markets saw their biggest daily rise in over two weeks overnight, aided by news that a vaccine being trialled by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech had been well tolerated in early-stage human tests.

A vaccine for COVID-19, which has now killed more than half a million people globally and sent the world economy into deep recession, has been long anticipated.

The 10-year Germany Bund yield broke above -0.4% for the first time in a week in its biggest daily jump in a month after improved euro zone manufacturing data the previous day, while Portugal’s borrowing costs hit a 3-month low.

employment figures later that will feed debate on whether the world’s largest economy can sustain its fragile recovery in the face of rising COVID-19 cases in some key parts of the country.

Top copper consumer China posted better-than-expected manufacturing data in June, while U.S.

crude rose 35 cents to $40.17 a barrel.