In Asian Equity Markets Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up by 0.37 percent on the first trading day of the week. The Topix dipped in and out of negative territory and was last flat, with declines seen in insurers and steelmakers while machinery sector stocks climbed. South Korea Kospi reversed early losses to advance 0.37 percent. LG Electronics slipped 0.31 percent following news on Sunday that the chairman of LG Group, Koo Bon-moo, had passed away. Koo’s son is expected to be nominated to the company’s board as part of succession plans. Other LG affiliates traded lower, with LG Display declining 0.31 percent and LG Chem down 1.74 percent.

In Currency Markets the US dollar edged up against the yen on Monday, after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the U.S. trade war with China is “on hold”, boosting risk sentiment amid hopes for an easing of trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. The dollar rose 0.2 percent to 110.99 yen in early Asian trade, nearing a four-month high of 111.085 yen that had been set on Friday. The euro slipped to $1.1744 at one point, touching its lowest level in five months, and was last down 0.2 percent on the day at $1.1747. Europe’s single currency has fallen around seven cents in about a month amid a sharp dollar rally.

In Commodities Markets oil prices rose on Monday as markets reacted to news that China and the United States have put a looming trade war between the world’s two biggest economies “on hold”. Brent crude futures were at $79.13 per barrel, up 62 cents, or 0.8 percent, from their last close. Brent broke through $80 for the first time since November 2014 last week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $71.83 a barrel, up 55 cents, or 0.8 percent, from their last settlement. The U.S. oil rig count, was at 844, according to energy services firm Baker Hughes. That was the same count as the week before, which marked the highest level since March 2015.

In US Equity Markets the S&P 500 ended lower on Friday after a choppy trading session as bank and chip-maker stocks weighed on the index and investors grappled with U.S.-China trade talks. Shares of Applied Materials fell 8.2 percent after the chip equipment maker’s weak 2019 forecast added to concerns of softening smartphone demand. Deere & Co helped bolster the industrials sector, jumping 5.7 percent after the company raised its full-year earnings estimate. The S&P 500 lost 0.26 percent, to 2,712.97 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.38 percent, to 7,354.34. All three major U.S. stock indexes posted a weekly loss.

In Bond Markets U.S. 10-year Treasury yields declined on Friday from a near seven-year high as buyers emerged following a bond market sell-off earlier this week spurred by worries about growing inflation and government borrowing. The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes was down 4 basis points at 3.071 percent after touching 3.128 percent in overseas trading, the highest level since July 2011, Reuters data showed. On the week, the 10-year yield was on track to increase about 10 basis points, its biggest weekly gain in a month. The 2-year yield was on course to rise for six straight weeks, which would be the longest such streak since 10 consecutive weeks of increases in the fourth quarter of 2017.