In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 1.2 percent higher with almost every sector in positive territory. Basic resources were the outperformer, up by more than 3.7 percent. Auto stocks also rose sharply. The sector was also reacting to weekend reports that Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group are exploring ways to cooperate in Europe. In individual stock news, easyJet fell more than 8.5 percent. This was after the airline said that Brexit uncertainty had led to softer ticket pricing and that its outlook for the second half of the year was “more cautious.”

In Currency Markets the British pound rose on Monday as investors prepared for parliament to vote on a series of Brexit options, with some hoping that the current uncertainty will end in a softer Brexit than Prime Minister Theresa May’s defeated withdrawal agreement. Sterling rose 0.8 percent to as high as $1.3135, also finding support from better-than-expected manufacturing survey data and media reports that the opposition Labour party would support closer ties with the EU in Monday’s series of votes on parliament’s favoured Brexit option.

In Commodities Markets oil climbed more than 1 percent with U.S. crude futures hitting a 2019 high on Monday after tight supply and positive signs for the global economy drove both benchmarks’ largest first-quarter gains in nearly a decade. U.S. WTI futures were up 85 cents, or 1.4 percent, at $60.99, after reaching their highest in more than four months at $61.15. WTI gained 32 percent in the first quarter. Brent crude for June delivery was up 93 cents, or 1.4 percent, at $68.51 after rising by more than a dollar in earlier trading and gained 27 percent in the January-March period.

In US Equity Markets stocks rallied on Monday, starting off the new quarter on a strong note, after upbeat manufacturing numbers from the United States and China eased worries about slowing global growth. The S&P 500 was up 0.86 percent, at 2,858.83 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.00 percent, at 7,806.68. Wynn Resorts Ltd jumped 6.51 percent, the most among S&P companies, as March gambling revenue from the Chinese territory of Macau was higher than the previous month. General Motors Co rose 1.51 percent and Ford Motor Co was up 2.11 percent.

In Bond Markets Euro zone government bond yields rose on Monday as an unexpected bounce in Chinese factory activity data and hopes of an easing in world trade tensions took the shine off safe-haven bond markets after last month’s stunning price rally. Euro zone headline and core inflation slowed in March, flash estimates showed. Germany’s benchmark 10-year bond yield rose as much as 4.5 basis points to minus 0.022 percent, well off 2-1/2 year lows at minus 0.09 percent last week. Other 10-year bond yields in the bloc rose around four-five bps on the day.