Asian markets are enjoying another day of solid gains Tuesday as investors appear upbeat about U.S. President Donald Trump’s release from the hospital and renewed hopes of a deal for a new coronavirus relief bill. The Nikkei index in Tokyo ended 0.5% higher. Sydney’s S&P/ASX index was up 0.3%. The KOSPI index in Seoul gained 0.3%, and Taipei’s TSEC index finished 1.2% higher. In late afternoon trading, both the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong and the Sensex in Mumbai are up 0.8%. Shanghai’s Composite index is closed for a national holiday. In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,915.40 an ounce, down 0.2%. U.S. crude oil is trading at $39.42 per barrel, up 0.5%, and Brent crude oil is trading at $41.50 per barrel, also up 0.5%. The 74-year-old U.S. president returned to the White House Monday evening, ending a three-day stay at Walter Reed Military Medical Center near Washington, where he was treated for COVID-19.
Another positive development was news that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke briefly early Monday about a compromise pandemic relief spending package. In futures trading, the Dow Jones and S&P indices are trending higher, while the Nasdaq is trending slightly lower.
…