(Bloomberg) -- U.S. equities closed at all-time highs for a second consecutive day after President Donald Trump said he’s been talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping and that they continue to work for a trade deal. Treasuries rose.
The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite climbed to fresh records. China said earlier that negotiators “reached consensus” on certain issues in a phone call and agreed to stay in contact on the remaining points. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index edged higher for a third day, while Asian shares were mixed.
“This phase one trade agreement between the U.S. and China would be at least a step in the right direction,” said Dave Campbell, a principal of San Francisco-based BOS, which manages about $4.5 billion. “Markets would interpret that pretty positively -- in fact, they’re already starting to lean that way.”
The dollar was mixed versus major peers after five consecutive days of gains. Brazil’s central bank intervened in the foreign exchange market for the first time in three months, selling greenbacks to prop up the real after it slumped to a record low. Crude oil gained.
Hopes that a partial trade deal is just around the corner have pushed a global benchmark of stocks to within 1% of an all-time high. A flurry of buyouts has also helped.
”We’re getting to the point where they need to show us the money,” said Michael Reynolds, investment strategy officer at Glenmede Trust Co. “Talk is one thing but an actual deal on paper, pen to paper, is what is going to dramatically change the market narrative.”
Investors are continuing to weigh the dispute’s impact on the world’s largest economy. Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard painted a mostly positive picture of the near-term outlook for the U.S. economy while advocating longer-term changes in the conduct of monetary policy in an era of low interest rates and subdued inflation.
Elsewhere, Bitcoin fell for a 10th day, its longest losing streak on record.
Here are some key events coming up this week:
- U.S. consumer spending data is due Wednesday, along with GDP, jobless claims and durable goods.
- The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving on Thursday, when equity and bond markets will be shut.
- Euro-area inflation for October is due Friday.
- The Bank of Korea sets policy on Friday.
