Chinese economic reports encouraging
It’s been a sluggish start to the trading week, with there being no lack of market headlines but rather little movement on the back of it.
We’re seeing small gains in Europe early in the day and US futures are posting marginal gains, continuing the trend we’ve been seeing this week.
Take this morning for example. We were treated to a selection of expectation-beating economic reports from the world’s second largest economy and investors simply shrugged it off like it does really matter. Except it very much does and a slowdown in China – which remains locked in a trade war with the US – has contributed to expectations of slower global growth this year.
I’m not one to get carried away with one batch of encouraging data and the longer term trend is very much against China, but these numbers may at least suggest all is not as bad as feared. And if a trade deal is struck in the coming months with the US, as many expect, perhaps things could even improve.
