👀 Copy Legendary Investors' Portfolios in One ClickCopy For Free

GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares surge on China's factory rebound, trade optimism

Published 01/04/2019, 10:23 pm
Updated 01/04/2019, 10:30 pm
© Reuters.  GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares surge on China's factory rebound, trade optimism
EUR/USD
-
AUD/USD
-
US500
-
AXJO
-
DE40
-
JP225
-
LCO
-
ESH25
-
CL
-
US3MT=X
-
US10YT=X
-
KS11
-
SSEC
-
STOXX
-
MIAPJ0000PUS
-
MIWD00000PUS
-
DXY
-

* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

* China factory PMIs rebound

* European stocks post best daily gain in over a month

* 3-month-10-year yield curve steepens above zero

* Aussie dollar jumps

By Ritvik Carvalho

LONDON, April 1 (Reuters) - Global stocks surged on Monday, extending gains from their best quarter since 2010, as strong Chinese factory activity data and signs of progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations gave investors reason to cheer.

European stocks posted their best daily gains since mid-February, with the pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX index up 0.8 percent. Germany's trade-sensitive DAX .GDAXI outperformed with a 1 percent rise, helped by gains in auto maker stocks. .EU

MSCI's All-Country World Index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks shares in 47 countries, was up 0.4 percent on the day. It had just posted its best quarter since 2010. S&P 500 futures were up about 0.7 percent, indicating a higher open on Wall Street. .N

"Investors' sentiment seems to be tilting to the side of optimism at the beginning of the second quarter, following a robust manufacturing report from China," said Konstantinos Anthis, head of research at ADSS.

China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) released on Sunday showed factory activity unexpectedly grew for the first time in four months in March. A private business survey, the Caixin/Markit PMI, released on Monday, also showed manufacturing. news helps ease market participants' worries over the odds of an upcoming recession on a global scale, even though there are plenty of signs suggesting caution," Anthis said.

Recent signals from bond markets have alerted investors to the possibility of an slowdown in the global economy. Yields on short-dated government bonds in the United States had fallen below those of longer-dated bonds - a phenomenon known as yield curve inversion, which has preceded every major recession.

"We don't see recession in 2019 or early 2020 — we believe the Federal Reserve unambiguously ending three years of tightening, and other central banks' dovish tilts, have extended the cycle," wrote Bob Michele, CIO and head of global fixed income at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in a note to clients.

"We left the probability of recession unchanged at 10 percent, although even a minor policy error could raise that."

The 3-month-to-10-year yield spread has since pulled back from negative territory and stood around 3 basis points. US3MT=RR US10YT=RR

TRADE OPTIMISM

Earlier in Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS added 1 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC rallied 2.6 percent.

Australian stocks .AXJO climbed 0.6 percent, South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 gained 1.3 percent and Japan's Nikkei .N225 advanced 1.4 percent.

"The rebound (in the Chinese data) likely reflects both the resumption of production after the Chinese New Year break and renewed stimulus and policy easing," UBS strategists wrote in a note to clients.

"We expect China to continue easing policy, with signs of economic stabilization backing our overweight position on offshore Chinese equities in our Asia portfolios."

Stocks in Asia also took their cues from Wall Street, with the S&P 500 posting its best quarterly gain in a decade on Friday amid trade optimism.

The United States and China said they made progress in trade talks that concluded on Friday in Beijing. Washington called the negotiations "candid and constructive". currencies, the dollar fell 0.18 percent against a basket of currencies .DXY to 97.112.

Sterling was over half a percent GBP=D3 higher to the dollar at $1.3104 on Monday as investors prepared for British parliament to vote on a series of Brexit options. Some hoped the current uncertainty will end in a softer Brexit than Prime Minister Theresa May's defeated withdrawal agreement. GBP/

The Australian dollar advanced as much as 0.45 percent to $0.7127 AUD=D4 , also benefiting from the China data. The Aussie is sensitive to shifts in the economic outlook for China, the country's main trading partner. It last traded 0.25 percent higher at $0.7113.

The euro rose 0.1 percent to $1.1230 EUR= .

Oil rose, building on its largest first-quarter gains in nearly a decade, as tight supply and positive signs for the global economy supported prices. O/R

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 gained 0.95 percent to $60.71 per barrel. Brent LCoc1 was 1.3 percent higher at $68.47 per barrel.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.