FYI: U.S. stock index futures were higher Friday morning.
At around 04:10 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 70 points, indicating a positive open of more than 72 points. Futures on the S&P and Nasdaq were also higher.
Wall Street closed higher on Thursday despite ongoing worries about U.S.-China trade.
U.S. officials have sent positive signs about trade talks with China. Larry Kudlow, the White House economic adviser, said Thursday that Washington is getting close to a trade deal with Beijing. His comments have followed recent reports that both countries had hit an impasse over agricultural products and intellectual property rights.
Global stock markets mostly moved higher Friday with investors closing out the week on a calm note following positive signals about U.S.-China trade talks.
U.S. stock futures ticked higher after White House economic adviser Lawrence Kudlow talked about progress in trade talks with China and optimism over the economy from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo finished the day 0.7% higher, although it was marginally down for the week, while in Europe the Stoxx 600 was up 0.1% in early trade. U.S. stock futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.3%.
Investors are being reassured by a rebound in government bond yields, particularly in the U.S., and the growing positive gap between 10-year yields and two-year yields, which is a move away from the recessionary signals of earlier this year.
U.S. 10-year Treasury yields rose 0.023 points on Friday morning to 1.836%, according to FactSet, while 10-year German yields were 0.007 points higher at minus 0.341%.
n Europe, Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken dropped 13%, its biggest decline in at least 10 years. The bank, commonly known as SEB, said a local TV company had contacted it about a forthcoming report about suspected money laundering, which claims to have information about SEB. Rivals Danske Bank and Swedbank have faced money laundering issues in the past couple of years that have roiled their share prices.
Elsewhere in Asia, the Hang Seng Index was flat Friday but ended the week down 4.8%, its worst week since early August, after antigovernment protests in the Chinese territory turned more violent with some of the worst clashes in six months of unrest. The Shanghai Composite Index ended the week down 2.5%.
There were conflicting signals for the oil markets: On Friday, the International Energy Agency raised its 2020 oil-production growth forecast for producers outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. However, that came just hours after OPEC had cut its forecast for oil production output for non-cartel countries next year.
Brent crude was down 0.7% to $61.84 a barrel.
Regards,
Ted
WSJ:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-edge-higher-on-u-s-china-trade-deal-hopes-11573812514Bloomberg:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-14/asia-stocks-set-for-mixed-session-bonds-yen-gain-markets-wrap?srnd=premiumIBD:
https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-futures-apple-nvidia-applied-materials-rh-warren-buffett-amarin-drug/CNBC::
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/dow-futures-fed-reserve-financial-stability-report.htmlReuters:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-trade/automakers-around-world-await-trump-tariff-decision-idUKKBN1XP0ZCU.K.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-stocks/ftse-cheers-sino-u-s-trade-hopes-labour-pledge-hits-bt-idUKKBN1XP0Q5Europe:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-stocks/european-shares-set-for-sixth-week-of-gains-on-bullish-trade-talk-idUSKBN1XP0QOAsia:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-gain-after-kudlow-says-trade-deal-near-2019-11-14/printBonds:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/us-treasury-yields-federal-reserve-financial-stability-report.htmlCurrencies:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/forex-markets-us-china-trade-deal-in-focus.htmlOil:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/oil-markets-us-china-trade-opec-supply-curbs-in-focus.htmlGold:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/gold-markets-us-china-trade-in-focus.htmlCuirrent Futures:
https://finviz.com/futures.ashx 
