| schema:articleBody
| - Global stock markets mostly brightened Wednesday as investors snapped up bargain shares and mulled easing coronavirus lockdowns, ahead of GDP data and an interest rate call in the United States. Asian equities were buoyed by a further easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures in certain nations, although gains remain capped by concern that the reopenings could spark a second wave of infections. Europe mainly rose as many optimistic investors brushed off lingering uncertainty over the impact of the devastating disease. The oil market rebounded on bargain-buying, though few traders anticipate a sustained recovery with storage facilities close to bursting and demand all but wiped out by the virus shutting businesses and grounding planes. "These markets have a mind of their own," OANDA analyst Craig Erlam told AFP, noting the busy week that also sees a raft of big company reporting earnings and an interest rate call from the European Central Bank. "All investors see is bargains at the moment. It's nice to see some optimism in these otherwise grim times but there seems to be complete disregard for the actual facts and figures. "That said, we live in a world of unprecedented central bank stimulus, the money has to go somewhere I guess. Still, it seems to be built on very shaky foundations, which is a concern." The upcoming US gross domestic product (GDP) data is expected to show the world's top economy contracted in the first three months of the year. The Federal Reserve will also end its latest policy meeting, with traders looking to see if it has any more words of comfort for markets after pledging financial backstops to banks, businesses and local and state governments. The US central bank, like many global counterparts, has also embarked on a massive bond-buying scheme aimed at kick-starting lending and economic output. "Of the two events, the GDP has more market moving potential," said City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta, adding that the Fed was not expected to move on rates. "First-quarter US GDP will shed some light on how badly the coronavirus crisis hit the US economy," she noted. "There were only two full weeks of lock down included in Q1. A worse than forecast GDP reading will stoke fear in the markets that the Q2 numbers will be even worse." Asian bourses meanwhile shrugged off more data showing the gaping hole being blown in the global economy that is also seeing companies either pull their earnings forecasts or provide grim guidance. Equities have broadly moved into a bull market, having bounced more than 20 percent from their March lows, thanks to multi-trillion-dollar stimulus from governments and pledges of extra support from central banks. London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 5,993.75 points Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.3 percent at 10,830.67 Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 4,564.70 Milan - FTSE MIB: UP 0.2 percent at 17,708.36 Madrid - IBEX 35: UP 0.9 percent at 6,900 EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 2,929.51 Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.3 percent at 24,643.59 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 2,822.44 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,101.55 (close) Brent North Sea crude: UP 4.1 percent at $21.29 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 14.9 percent at $14.18 per barrel Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0866 from $1.10820 at 2100 GMT Dollar/yen: DOWN at 106.51 yen from 106.87 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2441 from $1.2426 Euro/pound: UP at 87.33 pence from 87.07 pence burs-rfj/bcp/rl
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)