Global markets focused on US-China trade talks

ISTANBUL

The US-China trade talks launched in London by the world's two largest economies to permanently resolve trade tensions that began with tariff disputes have been the focus of investors globally.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, representing Washington in the talks, said the meeting is “well,” while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described it as “productive.”

US President Donald Trump's statements on the trade talks are also being closely followed by investors, with Trump saying he has received good news from the trade talks with Chinese officials in London.

Things were going very well with Beijing, Trump noted, adding that he wanted US companies to open up to China.

The bilateral trade talks, continuing on Tuesday, are being closely monitored also in Europe as geopolitical developments in the region continue to influence the direction of the markets.

Los Angeles protests continue

Demonstrations began last week in support of irregular migrants detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, California.

While many protesters were detained during the anti-ICE protests, Trump announced that he had deployed the National Guard to bring the situation in Los Angeles under control.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent also posted on social media, saying: “Border security is economic security. The violent riots in Los Angeles have made this undeniably clear.”

US index futures in green

With these developments, the Nasdaq index rose by 0.31% and the S&P 500 index by 0.09% on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, while the Dow Jones index remained flat.

In the bond markets, there was a buying-heavy trend on Monday, with the US 10-year bond yield falling by approximately three basis points to 4.48%, while the US 10-year bond yield currently stands at 4.49%.

The dollar index rose by 0.2% to 99.2 on the new day, while Brent crude oil traded at $66.8, up by 0.1%.

With the positive news flow on the tariffs front, the price of gold per ounce is currently trading at $3,307, down 0.6%.

On Monday, Germany's DAX 40 lost 0.54%, the UK's FTSE 100 index fell 0.06%, France's CAC 40 decreased 0.17%, and Italy's FTSE MIB 30 index dropped by 0.35%.

In Asia, rising optimism regarding the US-China trade negotiations has led to a bullish trend, with statements from both sides remaining the focus of investors.

Expectations that trade wars will not intensify are increasing the risk appetite across the region, while it is expected that the restrictions imposed by the US on certain technological products in China will also be discussed during the negotiations.

With these developments, the Nikkei 225 index in Japan rose 0.9%, the Kospi index in South Korea went up by 0.2%, the Shanghai Composite Index in China increased 0.1%, and the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rose by 0.4% near the close.