Asian markets settled higher today, echoing
the bullish tone set by U.S. stocks Friday. In China, the Shanghai Composite surged 1.8%, as supportive comments from
new Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Liu Shiyu and a rally in property stocks overshadowed uninspiring industrial production and retail sales reports. Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei jumped 1.7% as the Bank of Japan (BoJ) kicked off its two-day policy-setting meeting, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.2%, and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.04%.
Stocks in Europe are higher at midday, amid a rally in miners and a big jump in industrial production for the eurozone. However, the intraday gains are being capped as crude futures decline ahead of the release of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) monthly market report. At last check, the German DAX is up 1.5% as traders applaud big wins for the country's anti-immigration party in state elections over the weekend. Meanwhile, the French CAC 40 and London's FTSE 100 are both flirting with 0.5% gains.
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