Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 1.14%, Shanghai Composite up 0.11%, Hang Seng down 0.45%, ASX up 0.61%
- Commodities : Gold at $1198.60 (-0.10%), Silver at $14.18 (-0.01%), Brent Oil at $77.53 (+0.21%), WTI Oil at $67.56 (+0.03%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 2.937, UK 10-year yield at 1.467, Germany 10-year yield at 0.403
News & Data:
- (AUD) NAB Business Confidence 4 vs 7 previous
- (GBP) Goods Trade Balance -10.0B vs -11.7B expected
- (GBP) Manufacturing Production m/m -0.20% vs 0.20% expected
- (GBP) GDP m/m 0.30% vs 0.20% expected
- FT report: Tory Eurosceptics fail to agree on Brexit plan B
- Japan’s Motegi: Japan, US have some differences in views on trade, but will try to resolve
Markets Update:
Asian shares were struggling to avoid a ninth straight session of losses on Tuesday as the spectre of a Sino-U.S. trade war haunted investors, while the pound perched near a five-week top on hints a Brexit deal might be nearer. Optimism about a potential second U.S.-North Korea summit also boosted sentiment. The White House said that President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un calling for a second meeting between the two leaders. The U.S. is "open" to a second summit and talks are underway to make it happen.
The Nikkei 225 extended its gains, trading up by 1.14 percent in the afternoon. South Korea's Kospi, however, continued to trade lower by 0.14 percent. The Japanese market is advancing, tracking the mostly positive cues overnight from Wall Street and a weaker yen. In the Greater China markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.5% in the afternoon. Over on the mainland, the Shanghai composite climbed up by 0.1 percent while the Shenzhen composite saw extended gains of around 0.6 percent.
In currency markets, sterling stood out after the European Union’s top negotiator said an agreement for Britain to leave the economic bloc might be reached in the coming weeks. The pound has been under pressure on anxiety that Britain would exit from the EU without any formal trading arrangement.
Emerging market currencies were under pressure with a broad index down near 16-month lows and the Indian rupee near a record trough of 72.675 per dollar. Oil prices found support from looming U.S. sanctions against Iran’s petroleum industry.
Upcoming Events:
- 09:30 AM GMT – (GBP) Average Earnings Index 3m/y
- 09:30 AM GMT – (GBP) Claimant Count Change
- 09:30 AM GMT – (GBP) Unemployment Rate
- 10:00 AM GMT – (EUR) German ZEW Economic Sentiment
- &more…
