Dubai: After stock markets had finished 2020 by adding to gains they had already made during the height of the pandemic, positive news on COVID-19 vaccines helped lift markets in the latest quarter. Among key benchmark share market indices, that are tracked by stocks worldwide, the MSCI World Index was up 10 per cent, the S&P 500 up 12.69 per cent and the stock of the year, Tesla, up 64 per cent. Relief about the start of vaccination rollouts, though, was quickly met with news of a variant strain of the coronavirus that led to lockdowns in countries including the UK, Germany and China. However, new infections have reduced since then in these countries and rattled sentiments have eased.