Global stocks are mostly higher despite weak data out of China
Most Asian markets finished the day higher, as data out of China showing slow inflation and weak producer prices spurred hopes of monetary easing.
Talks of possible production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) also gave stocks a boost, with energy firms in particular enjoying strong gains.
Looking at the indexes, China's Shanghai Composite and Japan's Nikkei each added 0.7% for the day, with the latter
yet again getting a lift from a weaker yen. South Korea's Kospi was just behind, climbing 0.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng bucked the bullish trend, shedding 0.1%.
In Europe, higher crude oil prices are keeping stocks trading higher at midday. In the U.K., retail stocks outperformed, thanks to a strong July retail sales report. Meanwhile, industrial production for June matched expectations, while the region's trade deficit widened. Traders are also digesting the possibility of
further interest rate cuts, following comments from Ian McCafferty, a member of the Bank of England's (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee, who said, "Bank rate can be cut further, closer to zero, and quantitative easing can be stepped up." London's FTSE 100 was last seen up 0.4%, while the French CAC 40 has added 0.7%, and the German DAX has tacked on roughly 1%.
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