With trade talks between the USA and China starting on a positive foot on Monday, and renewed optimism around the US economy following a blockbuster jobs number last Friday, some of the doom and gloom that characterized the final months of 2018 and the first days of 2019 evaporated a little.
Mid-level US officials have travelled to Beijing for talks with Chinese counterparts and early signs were positive. Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of Commerce said he was confident a deal could be struck in a round of talks which is focused on US access to China to do business, and the transfer of intellectual property between the two nations.
Sentiment was also helped by a further easing of monetary policy from China's central bank. The People's Bank of China made substantial efforts to ease lending conditions Friday with a 1% cut in bank's reserve requirements ratios (the first of four possible cuts in 2019).
While there are clear gains being made, particularly in Europe, on Tuesday morning, an air of caution still remains.
"Traders are adopting a wait and see approach before deciding whether the latest round of US-Sino trade talks will be productive," Jasper Lawler, the head of research at London Capital Group said in an email.
"Both sides are making encouraging comments that they are on the right track, and whilst that is offering some support to equities the markets know that we have been here before."
- In the first hour of trading in Europe, all major stock indexes are higher, with gains of between 0.5% and 0.9% across the board. The Euro Stoxx 50 broad index of major European corporations is up 0.59% as of around 8.45 a.m. GMT (3.45 a.m. ET).
- Asian stocks are painting a marginally less positive picture, with Chinese stocks nursing small losses at the close. The Shanghai Composite lost around 0.2% of its value on the day, while the Shenzhen Composite was down 0.1%.
- Not all Asian indexes fell, however, with Japan's Nikkei up 0.8%, and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbing 0.1%.
- In the US, futures markets point to a positive open for all three major indexes. The Dow Jones , S&P 500 , and Nasdaq are all set to open higher by exactly 0.55% at the time of writing.
- Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate are up by around 0.3%. Brent is trading at $57.55 per barrel, while WTI is at $48.66.
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