· European stocks closed higher on Tuesday as investors digested strong data from the U.S. and reacted to political developments in the U.K.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended the session 0.5 percent higher, with most sectors in positive territory, after spending much of the day in the red.
Sentiment was helped by events in the U.S. Wall Street pared earlier losses as better-than-expected consumer confidence numbers offset weak Home Depot earnings and a big drop in housing starts.
· Stocks fell in choppy trading Tuesday as investors digested the release of weaker-than-expected Home Depot earnings, mixed economic data and testimony from the top-ranked Federal Reserve official.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 33.97 points to 26,057.98 as Caterpillar and Home Depot underperformed. The S&P 500 pulled back 0.1 percent to close at 2,793.49 as losses in the industrials sector offset a gain in tech. The Nasdaq Composite closed 0.07 percent lower at 7,549.30. The major indexes alternated between gains and losses for most of the session.
· Stocks in Asia rose during Wednesday morning trade, following comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.44 percent in early trade while the Topix advanced 0.29 percent, with shares of Fast Retailing, the company behind the Uniqlo chain of apparel stores, gaining more than 0.7 percent.
South Korea's Kospi also added 0.42 percent, as Hyundai Motor saw its stock surge around four percent.
The ASX 200 in Australia rose 0.32 percent in morning trade, with most sectors advancing.
· In geopolitical news, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are set to meet later today in Vietnam for the second time in less than a year, where talks will take place in a bid to convince Pyongyang to end its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Reference: CNBC
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