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Hopes for US-China trade talks help push Asian shares higher
TOKYO (AP) — Global shares rose Wednesday amid hopes for progress in U.S.-China trade talks.
KEEPING SCORE: France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.9 percent to 4,849.45 in early trading, while Germany’s DAX added 0.7 percent to 10,850.39. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.5 percent to 6,837.35. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures rising 0.4 percent to 24,528. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4 percent to 2,650.90.
ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.2 percent to finish at 21,602.75. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 1.4 percent to 5,653.50. South Korea’s Kospi was up 1.4 percent at 2,082.57. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.6 percent to 26,186.71, while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.3 percent to 2,602.15. Shares also rose in Taiwan, India and most Southeast Asian markets.
TRADE TALKS: Recent media reports say China has agreed to reduce tariffs on U.S. autos. That has raised hopes the two countries can make progress on their trade dispute. Investors worry that weaker global trade would dent economic growth and corporate profits around the world.
THE QUOTE: “U.S.-China trade developments appear to be the outstanding item set to aid Asia markets,” said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore. “Much needed positive news in the form of auto tariff reduction underpinned the early optimism.”
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil gained 41 cents to $52.06 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 65 cents to settle at $51.65 per barrel Tuesday. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 33 cents to $60.53 per barrel.
CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 113.43 yen from 113.08 yen late Tuesday. The euro slipped to $1.1324 from $1.1384.
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Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en
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