Global stock markets started the week mostly higher, led by Japanese equities, as investors turned their attention to a busy schedule of upcoming U.S. economic releases.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.4% to close at 69,946.86 points, briefly moving above the 70,000 mark for the first time in three months.
The gains came as concerns over inflation eased, reducing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again. Investors remained cautious, however, as the market lacked major new catalysts.
In Europe, France’s CAC 40 fell 1.1%, while Germany’s DAX edged up less than 0.1%. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.5%. Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down about 0.1%.
In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.3%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was largely unchanged.
