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Markets wrap: stocks gain with earnings in focus, treasuries dip

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Stocks staged a broad recovery on Friday as strong trade data from China buoyed markets, with investor focus turning to third-quarter earnings at the end of a tumultuous week.

The dollar steadied as Treasury yields ticked higher.

US equity-index futures jumped, suggesting the S&P 500 may snap its six-day losing streak when American markets open. JPMorgan Chase & Co kicked off the third-quarter reporting season with earnings broadly in line with analysts’ estimates.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose for the first time in three days with miners leading the advance, though the gauge is still headed for its worst week since February as most sectors trimmed early gains.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose from the lowest level since May 2017, with shares in Hong Kong and South Korea leading the way. The yuan retreated following a Bloomberg report that US Treasury staff concluded China isn’t manipulating its exchange rate.

Emerging-market stocks headed for the biggest gain in more than two years, and most developing-nation currencies advanced against the dollar.

China trade data showed exports rebounded, while imports remained robust, thanks to strong demand at home and abroad despite worsening relations with the US That eased some concern about the impact of the trade war, which had contributed to the worst equity sell-off since February amid worries about the Federal Reserve’s policy path.

As traders' debate whether the correction has created buying opportunities, the attention turns to third-quarter earnings, with Citigroup and Wells Fargo & Co still to report on Friday.

World wide stocks

“There could be more risk reduction into the weekend as investors position more defensively,”  Stephen Innes, Singapore-based head of Asia Pacific trading at Oanda wrote in a note. “But this does offer a significant window of opportunity for the not-so-meek of heart.”

Traders will be watching the yuan after the report that US Treasury staff advised Secretary Steven Mnuchin that China isn’t manipulating the exchange rate, as the Trump administration prepares to issue a closely watched report on foreign currencies.

Meanwhile, West Texas oil recovered, but is still heading for the biggest weekly drop since May as it trimmed gains after the International Energy Agency cut forecasts for demand this year. Gold slipped, but copper led a gauge of industrial metals higher.

These are the main moves in markets:

Stocks

  • The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 0.5% as of 7:13 am New York time, the biggest rise in more than a week.
  • Futures on the S&P 500 Index jumped 1%, the largest increase in 19 weeks.
  • The MSCI All-Country World Index rose 0.4 %.
  • The UK’s FTSE 100 Index increased 0.7%.
  • Germany’s DAX Index climbed 0.4%.
  • The MSCI Emerging Market Index surged 2.3%, the first advance in more than a week and the largest jump in more than two years.

Currencies

  • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index decreased less than 0.05%.
  • The euro dipped 0.1% to $1.1585.
  • The British pound fell 0.1%.
  • The Japanese yen declined 0.1% to ¥112.27 per dollar, the first retreat in more than a week.

Bonds

  • The yield on 10-year Treasuries gained two basis points to 3.17%, the biggest advance in a week.
  • Germany’s 10-year yield increased one basis point to 0.52 %.
  • Britain’s 10-year yield fell two basis points to 1.654%.
  • Japan’s 10-year yield climbed less than one basis point to 0.15%.

Commodities

  • West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.7% to $71.49 a barrel.
  • Gold decreased 0.2% to $1 221.36 an ounce.
  • Copper increased 0.7% to $2.82 a pound, the highest in more than a week.

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