European markets jumped at the open after the European Union announced retaliatory tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports.
The regional Stoxx 600 rose 0.6% shortly after the opening bell, with all major bourses in positive territory.
Regional investors will also be watching for any developments on a possible ceasefire for Ukraine, as well as corporate earnings, with clothing giants Inditex and Puma and carmaker Porsche updating investors on their financials.
Market sentiment in the region improved on Tuesday as talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ended with Ukraine agreeing to an immediate 30-day ceasefire negotiated by the US if Russia accepts the plan.
As part of the plan, the US is lifting a pause on its military aid to the country, as well as intelligence sharing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was now up to Russia to decide whether a ceasefire would be achieved.
Global markets will also be focused on the latest US inflation data due later in the trading session. Read CNBC's inflation preview here.
The U.S. market has been on a roller coaster ride amid uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's tariffs. A 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports went into effect on Wednesday.
CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE kicks off in Singapore on Wednesday, with a two-day event featuring speakers and contributors from across the worlds of business, technology and politics.
The first day of the forum will feature a fireside chat and panel with business leaders, including Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, as well as Alec Kersman, managing director and head of Asia-Pacific at Pimco, Ángela Pérez, chairman and CEO of Cofides, and Kamal Bhatia, president and CEO of Principal Asset Management.(Newsmaker23)
Source: CNBC
Tested EN...
Asian stock markets weakened for the second consecutive day, indicating that the initial rally that had been "speedy" at the start of the year is starting to lose steam. At the same time, US governmen...
US stocks were mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed uneven economic data against expectations for eventual Federal Reserve easing, with the S&P 500 easing 0.2% and the Dow Jones sliding 0.8% fr...
European stocks were in mixed territory on Wednesday morning, as regional market jitters grow over U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was little chang...
Asian stock markets weakened slightly on Wednesday after posting their best start to the year in history. The decline was driven by a decline in Japanese stocks amid escalating tensions with China. Th...
Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more...
Gold prices weakened slightly on Thursday (February 12th), as more solid US employment data reduced market confidence in an imminent Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The strong employment data prompted market participants to shift expectations of...
The Hang Seng Index reversed its downward trend in Hong Kong on Thursday (February 12th), weakening by around 0.9% to around 27,000 after a strong session earlier. This decline halted the momentum of the short term rally, as investors began to...