In Asian Equity Markets Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.22 percent while the Topix was down 0.3 percent. In South Korea, the Kospi traded up at 0.19 percent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.96 percent in early trade. Chinese mainland markets also traded higher. The Shanghai composite gained 0.66 percent while the Shenzhen compositeadded 0.36 percent. Australia’s ASX 200 retraced early gains of about 0.3 percent to trade near flat. The materials sector rose 0.87 percent while the heavily weighted financials subindex was down 0.56 percent.

In Currency Markets the US dollar sagged on Monday as investor demand for the safe-haven currency receded on optimism over a reduction in U.S.-China trade tensions, with the focus on discussions between the two countries due this week. The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was little changed at 96.126 after losing 0.55 percent on Friday. The offshore Chinese yuan was effectively flat at 6.838 per dollar after gaining about 0.4 percent on Friday, when it pulled further away from a 19-month low of 6.9585 brushed on Wednesday.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell slightly on Monday as concerns over slowing economic growth weighed on markets.  International Brent crude oil futures were at $71.78 per barrel, down 5 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 4 cents, at $65.87 per barrel. In the United States, U.S. energy companies last week kept the oil rig count unchanged at 869, according to Baker Hughes energy services firm on Friday. Outside the United States, traders said U.S. sanctions against Iran could soon impact prices.

In US Equity Markets stocks closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and the Dow extending gains and the Nasdaq turning positive on reports of progress in tariff disputes between the United States and its trading partners China and Mexico. The S&P 500 gained 0.33 percent, to 2,850.13 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.13 percent, to 7,816.33. Bucking the otherwise downbeat department store earnings trend, shares of Nordstrom Inc jumped 13.2 percent after posting better-than-expected same-store sales and raising its profit forecast.

In Bond Markets German bond yields returned to one-month lows on Friday as the threat of more U.S. sanctions on Turkey hit the lira once again, boosting demand for safe-haven assets including high-grade euro zone government debt. Germany’s 10-year government bond dipped as low as 0.287 percent on Friday, its lowest in nearly a month and half what it was just three months ago, before settling at 0.30 percent by the close.