In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 closed provisionally higher by 1.16 percent with every sector moving into positive territory. Technology stocks were the top performers, up around 2 percent. French food retailer Casino Guichard rose more than 4 percent. The firm is joining forces with Amazon to take its groceries to Amazon Prime Now customers. The service will start this year in Paris. H&M, the Swedish retailer, announced a lower net profit in the first quarter, sending shares down by 5.04 percent for the day. Deutsche Bank is reportedly looking to replace John Cryan as chief executive. The bank’s share price rose 1.14 percent over the course of the day.

In Currency Markets the US dollar rose against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, rebounding from a five-week low hit earlier in the session, as trade tensions receded and the greenback found support from month-end flows. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.41 percent at 89.395, after slipping to a five-week low of 88.942. Sterling fell against the dollar, the Swiss franc and the euro as expectations of selling pressure from a large corporate healthcare deal prompted investors to take profits after a recent rally. The British pound was down 0.56 percent against the dollar.

In Commodities Markets oil hit $71 a barrel before retreating on Tuesday, supported by concern about possible disruption to Middle East supply but capped by fast rising global output and a dollar recovery. Brent crude futures were up 18 cents at $70.30, down from its brief high. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures slipped 6 cents to $65.49, after touching $66.41. The oil price has risen more than 7 percent so far this month and by 5.3 percent in the first three months of 2018, putting it on track for a third consecutive quarterly gain, a move seen in late 2010. Supply curbs by OPEC, Russia and their allies have helped push Brent above $70 this year for the second time since late 2014.

In US Equity Markets stocks ticked higher on Tuesday, building on strong gains from the previous session amid easing fears of a trade war between the United States and China. The S&P 500 gained 0.12 percent at 2,661.81 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.24 percent, at 7,238.02. Facebook shares rose about 1 percent following the outcry over the social media company’s handling of users’ data. Technology stocks were the biggest gainers, with a more than 1 percent rise in shares of Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Intel providing the boost. Red Hat shares rose 3.5 percent after the software developer reported better-than-expected quarterly results on strong demand for its hybrid cloud products.

In Bond Markets Euro zone government bond yields fell on Tuesday after Spanish inflation undershot expectations and two ECB policymakers flagged low underlying inflation as a reason to remain patient on policy tightening. Governing Council member Erkki Liikanen said underlying euro zone inflation may remain lower than expected even if growth is robust, so the ECB needs to remain patient in removing stimulus. The yield on Germany’s 10-year government bond, the benchmark for the bloc, fell to its lowest level in more than two months at 0.504 percent. Southern European government bond yields, seen as key beneficiaries of loose monetary policy, were down 2-5 bps.