In Asian Equity Markets indices were in broadly positive territory on Tuesday. The Nikkei 225 extended its gains, trading up by 0.98 percent. South Korea’s Kospi, however, lost its earlier gains and traded slightly down. Down Under, the ASX 200 was higher by 0.46 percent as the financial sector rose 0.66 percent. In the Greater China markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was largely flat, while the Shanghai composite climbed up by 0.25 percent. Shenzhen composite saw gains of around 0.13 percent.

In Currency Markets the yen fell on Tuesday on news a Japanese chip-maker was buying a U.S. peer for $6.7 billion, while sterling held onto overnight gains after the European Union’s top negotiator raised hopes a Brexit deal can be struck in the coming weeks. Monday’s reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s top negotiator, told a forum in Slovenia that it was “realistic” to expect a Brexit deal in six to eight weeks helped send the pound sharply higher to $1.3052, its highest level since Aug. 2. On Tuesday, sterling rose about 0.1 percent to $1.3041.

In Commodities Markets oil was steady on Tuesday, supported by looming U.S. sanctions against Iran’s petroleum industry. But prices were capped by signs that increased supplies by other major producers, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, could make up for the disruptions from Iran. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $67.61 per barrel, up 7 cents from their last settlement. Brent crude futures climbed 11 cents to $77.48 a barrel. Washington is putting pressure on other countries to also cut Iran imports.

In US Equity Markets stocks mostly edged higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rebounding to snap a four-day losing streak, although a decline in Apple kept gains in check. The Dow fell, with Travelers down 1.9 percent. Hurricane Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday, the National Hurricane Center warned of the Category 4 storm bearing down on the U.S. east coast. The S&P 500 0.19 percent, to 2,877.13 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.27 percent, to 7,924.16.

In Bond Markets U.S. government bond yields were steady on Monday at levels reached on Friday, as investors resisted making big trades ahead of Treasury auctions this week, the release of August consumer price index data and a meeting of the European Central Bank. The two-year yield, which reflects market expectations of Fed interest-rate hikes, was up about half a basis point on Monday to a top of 2.715 percent, its highest since July 2008.