Global Markets Steady Ahead of U.S. Inflation Data

Europe & U.S.: European stocks held steady Friday as investors awaited delayed U.S. inflation data, while Wall Street extended gains after news of a Trump-Xi meeting eased trade tensions. The MSCI World Equity index rose 0.1%, set for a weekly gain of 1.2%.

Asia: China’s Shanghai Composite climbed 0.4%, reaching its highest since August 2015.

Currency & Bonds: The dollar index rose 0.1%, the yen weakened amid new Japanese stimulus pledges, and euro-zone government bond yields edged higher.

Oil & Gold: Oil prices softened slightly after recent gains from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, while gold fell 1.5%, ending a nine-week winning streak.

Outlook: Traders remain broadly bullish, expecting the Federal Reserve to cut rates by 25 basis points next week, while attention turns to AI-driven tech stocks as potential market drivers.