Global Stocks Rise on Friday           01/18 05:54

   Global stocks rose Friday after investors saw signs of possible progress 
toward a resolution of the U.S.-Chinese tariff war. Shares in China posted 
solid gains.

   BEIJING (AP) -- Global stocks rose Friday after investors saw signs of 
possible progress toward a resolution of the U.S.-Chinese tariff war. Shares in 
China posted solid gains.

   KEEPING SCORE: In early trading, London's FTSE 100 gained 0.7 percent to 
6,882.48 and Germany's DAX advanced 0.3 percent to 10,931.24. France's CAC 40 
shed 0.3 percent to 4,839.03. On Thursday, the FTSE 100 slide 0.4 percent, the 
CAC 40 lost 0.3 percent and the DAX retreated 0.1 percent. On Wall Street, the 
future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent and that for the 
Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 0.2 percent.

   ASIA'S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index advanced 1.4 percent to 2,596.01 
and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent to 27,082.01. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 
rose 1.3 percent to 20,666.07 and Seoul's Kospi added 0.8 percent to 2,124.28. 
Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 was 0.5 percent higher at 5,879.60 while India's Sensex 
shed 0.1 percent to 36,319.31. Benchmarks in Taiwan, New Zealand and Southeast 
Asia also advanced.

   US-CHINA TRADE: China announced its economy czar, Vice Premier Liu He, will 
visit Washington for talks on Jan. 30-31 aimed at ending the tariff war sparked 
by U.S. complaints about Beijing's technology ambitions. Business groups and 
economists were looking for Liu and his American counterpart, U.S. Trade 
Representative Robert Lighthizer, to take part in talks as a sign lower-level 
negotiations earlier in Beijing made progress. The Wall Street Journal reported 
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was willing to roll back U.S. tariff hikes on 
Chinese goods, though it said Lighthizer and other officials opposed that idea.

   ANALYST'S COMMENT: Asian markets welcome "the latest indication of further 
interest from the U.S. to resolve the U.S.-China trade uncertainty," said 
Jingyi Pan of IG in a report. "While skepticism may well persist, and worries 
build ahead of Chinese growth figures next week, the driving force for intraday 
market action belongs to trade."

   JAPAN INFLATION: Inflation in December came in weaker than expected, putting 
the central bank farther from its target of 2 percent. Prices rose 0.3 percent, 
down from November's 0.8 percent, as tumbling food costs offset a rise in 
energy prices.

   ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 43 cents to $52.50 per barrel in 
electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 24 
cents on Thursday to close at $52.07. Brent crude, used to price international 
oils, added 45 cents to $61.63 per barrel in London. It lost 14 cents the 
previous session to $61.18.

   CURRENCY: The dollar advanced to 109.48 yen from Thursday's 109.24 yen. The 
euro gained to $1.1391 from $1.1388. 


(BE)