April 16, 2019: Asian markets rose Tuesday after a slow start to the day, as investors brushed off a weak lead from Wall Street while looking ahead for the release of Chinese growth data.
With few catalysts to drive business regional equities at first struggled for traction but picked up as the day wore on, resuming an uptrend that has characterised the year.
Focus turns now to China's growth figures, which come after a number of upbeat readings on the world's number two economy — including factory activity, inflation, new loans and trade — that have given some cause for optimism.
High-level talks between China and the United States aimed at ending their long-running trade war are also being closely followed, with most observers optimistic they would reach a deal.
Both sides have sounded positive, and expectations for a deal have been a key driver of a rally in global markets this year and in offsetting worries about the outlook for the world economy.
“The data from both China and the US has been consistently upbeat of late, suggesting things may not get as bad as the doomsayers are proclaiming,” said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley.
“That said, without sounding like a broken record, a resolution of the US-China trade issues must occur before a more complete picture of what 2019 holds for the global economy can be built.”
Traders are also keeping tabs on trade talks between Japan and the United States in Washington.
