The world's stock markets gained $17 trillion in capitalisation this year according to Deutsche Bank

Global stock markets experienced a boom this year, adding over $17 trillion in total value, according to Deutsche Bank's figures.

The value of global equities started the year at around $69 trillion, but has now surpassed $85 trillion, according to an analysis by DB's Torsten Slak.

The record-breaking year for equities was enhanced by looser monetary policy and political developments around the world.

Central banks around the world took a bolder approach, which boosted markets. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate several times this year, and the ECB cut its already negative rates even further.

The outlook for world trade - in the turmoil since Trump's election and the vote for Brexit - also became clearer during 2019.

On the U.S. trade front, the House of Representatives approved the Trump administration's new North American Trade Agreement, and the country reached an apparent agreement with China in the first phase of trade negotiations.

In Europe, the resounding victory of Boris Johnson's conservatives should give him the power to negotiate the country's exit from the EU.

However, the great rise of world markets has been largely dominated by US markets. The U.S. recovery has been broad-based, with the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Russell 2000 all rising by over 20% this year.

Significant profits for some of the world's largest companies, such as an 80% gain for Apple and a 57% gain for Facebook, helped fuel this impressive rise.