· European stocks opened slightly higher Friday morning, after U.K. lawmakers voted to delay a potentially chaotic exit from the European Union for at least three months.
Market focus is largely attuned to global trade developments, as sentiment improved on a report that more progress has been made in talks between the world's two largest economies.
· Market focus is largely attuned to global trade developments, as sentiment improved on a report that more progress has been made in talks between the world's two largest economies.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He spoke via telephone with U.S. Trade Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Xinhua news agency reported Friday.
It comes after Mnuchin said on Thursday that a summit to secure a comprehensive trade agreement between President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would not happen at the end of March as previously discussed.
In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares, excluding Japan, rose 0.5 percent.
· Back in Europe, British Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing once more to try and win approval for her twice-rejected Brexit deal.
U.K. lawmakers voted on Thursday to seek a delay in Britain's exit from the EU. It marked the end to a dramatic trilogy of events this week which have added yet more confusion into the whole Brexit process.
· Japan’s Nikkei closed higher on Friday as companies with large exposure to China soared on Beijing’s commitment to boosting economic growth, while investors also saw signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks.
There was little impact on the market from the Bank Of Japan’s decision to keep monetary policy steady.
The Nikkei share average ended 0.8 percent higher at 21,450.85, with the index gaining 2.0 percent for the week.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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