World stock markets roared ahead this week as two of Wall Street’s largest banks put the worst of the financial crisis behind them and delighted investors with surging profits.

From Hong Kong to New York, shares in the world’s biggest companies rode a wave of optimism after Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan reported strong growth in second-quarter earnings and China announced resurgent economic output. The bullish mood swept across Europe and the FTSE 100 index enjoyed its biggest weekly gain of 2009.