Domo signs strategic collaboration agreement with AWS for AI solutions
* Washington says open to trade talks
* STOXX 600 up 0.7%; MSCI world equity index up 0.2%
* Yuan slips despite support from state banks
* Gold at six-year highs
* German 10-year bond yield falls to record lows
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
By Tom Wilson
LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A cautious calm returned to stock
markets on Wednesday as softer rhetoric from Washington on the
U.S.-China trade war soothed investors, though demand for
safe-haven assets underscored lingering anxiety.
Europe's STOXX 600 .STOXX climbed 0.7%, recovering from a
three-day sell-off as investors fled after an escalation in the
trade war. MSCI's world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which
tracks shares in 47 countries, rose 0.2%.
But gold, the Japanese yen and government debt remained in
high demand as investors remained wary of riskier assets.
U.S. shares gained overnight after President Donald Trump
downplayed worries of a lengthy trade war and senior adviser
Larry Kudlow said Trump's administration is planning to host a
Chinese delegation for talks in September Wall
Street futures gauges also rose.
The U.S. administration's remarks marked a shift in tone
from recent days, when Beijing warned that Washington's
labelling China as a currency manipulator on Monday would have
severe consequences for the global financial order.
Still, market players voiced caution. Trump's threat to
impose additional tariffs on more Chinese products is set to
take effect in less than a month.
"There is some cautious buying creeping back in," said
Michael Hewson, chief market strategist at CMC Markets. "But if
you want that to be sustained you have to look towards September
1, when the new tariffs kick in, and whether or not Trump
presses ahead with them."
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was slightly lower.
Also easing the mood were signs that China is intervening to
steady the yuan after its recent sharp fall, allaying investor
fears of a global currency war.
The U.S. Treasury designated China a currency manipulator on
Monday, after it allowed the yuan to weaken below 7 per dollar
for the first time in over a decade. The U.S. move rattled
financial markets and dimmed hopes the trade war was ending.
Since then, China's state banks have been active in the
onshore yuan forwards market, tightening dollar supply and
supporting the Chinese currency, sources told
Reuters. The yuan still dropped 0.2% to 7.0708 in offshore markets
CNH=EBS despite the support. The People's Bank of China (PBOC)
set its official reference rate at an 11-year low, keeping
currency markets on edge
"We had a little bit of recovery yesterday, but this morning
we are seeing that stalling due to the PBOC fixing the
dollar-yen higher again," said Thu Lan Nguyen, FX strategist at
Commerzbank. "It has caused markets to again be in a bit of a
risk-off mode."
SAFE HAVENS IN DEMAND
The skittish mood was underlined by continuing demand for
currencies and commodities considered safe havens.
Gold reached a six-year high of $1,489.76 per ounce XAU= .
The Japanese yen rose 0.2% to 106.27 JPY=EBS , although that
was still some way from levels seen on Monday when the trade
war's escalation panicked investors.
U.S. bonds have also retained much of their gains made in
the past week. Ten-year Treasury notes yielded 1.66% percent
US10YT=RR , their lowest since 2016, as investors bet on
another rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September.
Fixed income markets have benefited from fears the U.S-China
trade war would raise the risk of a global recession,
strengthening the case for policy easing by central banks.
Germany's 10-year bond yield fell to record lows deep in
negative territory as a bigger-than-expected interest rate cut
in New Zealand and weak German data gave further impetus to a
rally in bond markets. German industrial output fell more than expected in June,
adding to signs that Europe's biggest economy contracted in the
second quarter as its exporters were caught up in trade
disputes. In commodity markets, oil prices slipped, with the potential
for damage to the global economy and to fuel demand from the
Sino-U.S. trade dispute casting a shadow over the market.
International benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at
$58.79 a barrel by 0759 GMT, down 14 cents, or 0.05%, and
trading near seven-month lows.
For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock
markets, please click on: LIVE/
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Germany's bond yield curve https://tmsnrt.rs/2YvAiL0
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