Global stocks gain on optimism around Brexit deal

Shanghai/London — Last-minute tweaks to Britain’s deal to leave the EU triggered gains across global stocks and propelled sterling higher on Tuesday, soothing investor worries about a possible no-deal exit that has unnerved financial markets in recent months.

Gains in Asian equities extended to Europe, where the pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.2%, after Brussels agreed to additional changes to an updated Brexit deal with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday.

Wall Street futures were also higher in early European trade.

The Dublin stock exchange, a barometer for sentiment around the UK’s departure from the bloc, rose 0.9%, outperforming its European peers, while the UK’s blue chip FTSE 100 dropped 0.1%.

With 70% of its income coming from abroad, the blue-chip index is often pressured by a stronger pound.

Sterling, which had already risen ahead of the talks on changes, rallied on hopes the assurance may be enough to sway rebellious British MPs who have threatened to vote down May’s plan again on Tuesday.

A reduced likelihood of crashing out of the EU with no Brexit deal helped inject some appetite for riskier assets, potentially eliminating one of the three major concerns of global investors, alongside trade and slowing global growth.

But it was not clear if the changes would be enough to secure parliamentary support when MPs vote at about 7pm GMT, having voted down May’s original deal by a record 230 votes in January.

The pound was up 0.5%, buying $1.3218 and taking its gains over two days to 2.6%.

“This additional agreement to the existing contract does slightly increase the probability that by tonight the deal will go through, but only slightly increases it,” said Britt Weidenbach, head of European equities at DWS.

“The market will probably only react to this in a more positive way once we know what the outcome is going to be. This might not be after tonight, it may be after Wednesday when we have a ruling on No-Deal and prolongation.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed up 1% while Chinese blue chips ended up 0.7%, extending the previous day’s rally.

Despite slowing domestic economic growth and uncertainty about the outlook for trade negotiations between China and the US, Chinese markets have been buoyed in 2019 by investors’ expectations of more stimulus to cushion any downturn.

The CSI300 index has risen more than 28% in 2019.

Japan’s Nikkei stock index closed 1.8% higher, but Australian shares erased earlier gains to end down 0.1%.

Before the latest Brexit developments, risk sentiment was already well supported after global equity indexes climbed overnight on gains in technology stocks and expectations of more stimulus from China.

US shares rebounded from a week-long losing streak, with news that US chip supplier Nvidia has agreed to buy Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies for $6.8bn helping to boost tech shares.

A nearly 7% gain in Nvidia shares helped to propel the Nasdaq Composite 2.02% higher.

Rising yields

The turn toward riskier assets lifted yields of higher-rated eurozone government bonds.

Germany’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose 2.5 basis points to 0.09% — moving away from more than two-year lows hit last week in the wake of a dovish European Central Bank meeting.