Opening Bell: Stocks Keep Betting On Upbeat Trade Rhetoric; Bitcoin Drops

 | Nov 25, 2019 12:36

  • U.S. futures, European shares climb on China's optimistic trade reports, intellectual property measures
  • Treasurys, gold, yen drop but safe-haven demand remains stable overall
  • BTC recovers mildly after sliding below $7,000 for the first time in six months
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Global equities and futures on the S&P 500, Dow and NASDAQ 100 advanced, at the expense of safe havens such as Treasurys, gold and the yen, after a Chinese state-backed newspaper said trade negotiators were "very close" to an initial agreement. The upbeat report added to intellectual property measures announced by China on Sunday, which can be seen as a key concession within trade talks with the U.S.

In the back-and-forth drama of trade diplomacy, China said it will increase fines over violations on intellectual property—perhaps the main sticking point of the trade spat—paving the way for a smoother path to a meaningful trade deal. Naturally, whether it will follow up on its rhetoric is yet to be seen.

The timing of perhaps the biggest Chinese concession to date may be linked to the country’s plans for a record sale of dollar-denominated bonds, as it maintains its strategy to build an offshore market for domestic companies and local authorities. In other words, it could be argued that, once it raises its capital, China is likely to go back to its previous stance. With markets mostly understood to have priced in a deal, risk is to the downside.

That may help explain why, while global equities are set for a third straight monthly gain, bonds and safe-haven assets remain in demand, highlighting that the overall shaky progress of trade talks, alongside contradictory statements by U.S. President Donald Trump and his aides, are keeping investors cautious.

Futures trading this morning nonetheless suggested that stocks will once again attempt to reach fresh records in the upcoming U.S. session.

In Europe, the STOXX 600 climbed with shares of trade-sensitive automakers and mining firms.

In the earlier Asian session, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (+1.50%) surged after local council elections marked a landslide victory for pro-democracy candidates.

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