* MSCI ACWI flat
* Euro hits fresh 2-wk low on poor PMIs
* European stocks lower
* Oil edges up
By Ritvik Carvalho
LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Global shares crept higher on
Wednesday as prospects of fresh China-U.S. trade talks drew a
guarded welcome from investors, while dour data on euro zone
economic activity hit the euro ahead of a European Central Bank
policy meeting.
Downbeat earnings as well as weaker-than-expected purchasing
manager surveys in France and Germany took European shares and
the euro a leg lower, with the single currency hitting two-month
lows.
MSCI'S All-Country World index of stocks .MIWD00000PUS
extended its previous day's gains by a whisker, rising 0.02%.
Broad sentiment was boosted by a Bloomberg report that U.S.
Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Shanghai
next week for meetings with Chinese officials. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Tuesday called
it a good sign and said he expected Beijing to start buying U.S.
agriculture products soon. Chinese blue chips .CSI300 climbed 0.8% while MSCI's
broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS gained 0.1%.
"While the resumption of trade talks appears to mitigate any
near-term deterioration in US-China tensions, prudent investors
will not get carried away, seeing as a meaningful deal still
seems a long way off," said Han Tan, market analyst at FXTM.
Stocks are just a whisker away from all-time highs, buoyed
by expectations of a wave of policy stimulus by global central
banks and a resulting sharp decline in bond yields.
The ECB is thought likely to at least offer a nod to easier
policy at its meeting on Thursday. Futures FEDWATCH remain 100% priced for a rate cut of 25
basis points from the Federal Reserve next week, and even imply
an 18% chance of 50 basis points.
The prospect of widespread central bank largesse helped take
the sting out of a downgrade to the IMF's global growth
forecasts. "There are two conflicting catalysts for stock traders right
now: on one hand, central banks around the world are about to
embark on an easing initiative...," said Konstantinos Anthis,
head of research at ADSS.
"On the other though, the slowdown in growth on a global
scale and various geopolitical factors keep weighing down on
corporate profitability, asking questions on whether equities
have peaked."
EUROGLOOM
The dollar got a hand-up from a deal to end a deadlock over
the U.S. budget, with the index that measures it against a
basket of other currencies up 0.05%. .DXY
The euro hit two-month lows at $1.1127 EUR= , falling
further after the weak PMIs. It also hit a near seven-month
trough against the yen at 120.19 EURJPY= though it recovered
from a two-year low versus the Swiss franc EURCHF= .
A recession in Germany's manufacturing sector worsened in
July with the performance of goods producers dropping to the
lowest level in seven years while French business growth slowed
unexpectedly, the purchasing manager surveys showed.
Sterling rose 0.1% to $1.2452 GBP= having fallen for three
sessions in a row as the Brexit outlook got ever murkier.
Boris Johnson will become Britain's new prime minister on
Wednesday, with investors unclear as to whether he will lead the
country to a no-deal EU exit or find a compromise.
"We believe that in the short term the market is overstating
the risk of a no deal," said Mark Haefele, chief investment
officer at UBS Global Wealth Management.
"While a no-deal Brexit remains possible over the longer
term, our view is that the most likely path in the short term is
for a further extension to the UK's 31 October exit day, either
due to a change in stance from PM Johnson, or in the case of a
general election."
Gold gained nearly half a percent to $1,423.65 per ounce
XAU= , though it was still short of last week's peak
of$1,452.60.
Oil prices nudged higher on rising tensions over Iran, a
sharp fall in U.S. crude stocks and positive signs on Sino-U.S.
talks, although worries about weak demand kept a cap on gains.
O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 futures added 0.2 percent to $63.96,
while U.S. crude CLc1 rose 0.4% to $56.99 a barrel.