The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 98.19  with a loss of -0.26%  percent or -0.26  point. The Dow Futures is trading at 26,616.00 up with +0.93% percent or +244.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,963.88 up with +0.86% percent or +25.38 point.  The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 7,809.88  up with +1.13%  percent or +87.13 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The Japanese yen slipped and risky currencies flourished on Thursday as investors turned more optimistic that the United States will find common ground with China on trade after agreeing to hold talks in October.

Chinese representatives will travel to Washington next month, China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday.

“This news has injected a fair amount of optimism in markets,” said Prashant Newnaha, senior rates strategist at TD Securities in Singapore.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,311.26  up with +0.59% percent or +43.07 point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 5,532.07 up with +1.21% percent or +66.00 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 12,025.04  up with +0.96% percent or +114.18  point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,484.76  up with +0.85% percent or +12.47 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 914.47  up with +0.94% percent or +8.50 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at1,880.94  up with +1.23% percent or +22.89 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,297.53 up with +1.14% percent or +14.57 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,720.12 up with +1.07% percent or +18.15 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,624.29  up with +1.08% or +17.37 point.