Global stocks mostly rose on Tuesday as investors weighed the chances of more stimulus from central banks in Europe and Japan.
KEEPING SCORE: France’s CAC 40 added 0.1 percent to 4,546 and Germany’s DAX edged up 0.3 percent to 10,705. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.3 percent to 6,862. Wall Street was set for a lukewarm start after the holiday. Dow and S&P futures each added 0.1 percent.
CENTRAL BANKS: Investors are looking ahead to Thursday’s meeting by the European Central Bank, which some expect to expand its stimulus efforts. It could extend the duration of its bond-buying program, though some analysts say it is more likely to do so toward the end of the year, when it has more information on the economy.
The Bank of Japan, meanwhile, is reviewing its ultra-lax monetary easing. In a speech Monday, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda offered mixed signals. The upshot was “it is logical to infer that the Bank will conduct further easing,” to achieve Japan’s 2 percent inflation target, said Hiroshi Ugai of JP Morgan in Tokyo.
ASIA’S DAY: Asian stocks finished mostly higher. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent to 17,081.98 and South Korea’s Kospi added 0.3 percent to 2,066.53. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 0.6 percent to 23,787.68 and India’s Sensex jumped 1.5 percent to 28,958.05. The Shanghai Composite index rose 0.6 percent to 3,090.71, but Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3 percent to 5,413.60.
G-20: The Group of 20 major economies wrapped up their annual summit, held in Hangzhou, China, with a stronger commitment to coordinate policies to support growth and promote trade liberalization. The gathering also launched a new initiative to work on curbing excess steel production capacity, especially in China, which may help smooth tensions over the issue.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil gained 52 cents to $44.96 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It jumped $1.28 on Monday. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, lost 18 cents to $47.45 a barrel.
CURRENCIES: The euro strengthened to $1.1167 from $1.1149, and the dollar fell to 103.36 yen from 103.45 yen.
