Bloomberg.com — Most Asian equities climbed on Monday as traders held out hopes about developments in the trade war and ahead of a meeting of central bankers later in the week that may throw up clues on the outlook for markets.

While Japan’s shares fell, stocks rose in Hong Kong and Chinese equities were poised to halt five days of declines amid thin volumes in most of Asia. European stock-index futures crept higher. The dollar steadied and the 10-year Treasury yield was little changed. The offshore yuan was stable after signs China may be propping up the currency just as it prepares to restart trade negotiations with the U.S., while the yuan traded onshore strengthened.

Bond traders are betting recent market turmoil won’t throw the Federal Reserve off its tightening course. They expect the Fed will raise rates at its next meeting and this week’s Jackson Hole symposium could provide clues as to whether such confidence is warranted as the spread between 2- and 10-year yields narrowed to the least since 2007 on Friday.

Elsewhere, Turkish markets are closed this week. That may mean low trading volumes and the possibility of sharp currency swings.

Bloomberg.com — Asian stocks are ending a bruising week on a positive note after an easing in trade tensions between China and the U.S and positive results from Walmart boosted American shares. The dollar steadied and Treasuries were little changed.

Equities from Sydney to Hong Kong advanced, though Chinese shares underperformed. Futures signaled a muted start for stocks in London and New York. Emerging market equities rose for the first time in eight sessions and commodities steadied. The Turkish lira pared some of its gains as U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Turkey would face more sanctions if the country didn’t release a detained American pastor.

The possibility of a breakthrough in the U.S.-China trade spat has helped shake off some of the elevated caution that’s infected markets and driven Asian equities toward their worst week since March. The trade war remains the wildcard for emerging Asian currency and bond markets, according to a Bloomberg survey of investors.

“I don’t think we’re quite out of the woods yet,” Marcus Miholich, a managing director at State Street Global Advisors Ltd., told Bloomberg TV in Sydney. “Investors have definitely taken note of these tensions and have reallocated into more defensive sectors and defensive names. Given we don’t seem to have the light at the end of the tunnel just yet, that will continue.”

Elsewhere, oil slipped, heading for the longest run of weekly losses in three years on the ongoing crisis in Turkey and after a surprise gain in U.S. crude stockpiles.

Bloomberg.com — U.K. retail sales bounced back strongly in July as warmer weather and extended discounts at stores encouraged shoppers to open their wallets.

Sales gained 0.7 percent from June, compared with a median estimate of a 0.2 percent gain in a Bloomberg survey. The increase was led by online sales, food and clothing, according to data from the Office for National Statistics in London. Excluding auto fuel, sales jumped 0.9 percent.

Britons enjoyed a heat wave this summer that lifted spending, while the soccer World Cup helped boost sales of food and drink. Still, the warm weather may have kept people away from some high-street stores as online spending climbed to a record proportion of total. The pound climbed after the data and was 0.2 percent higher at $1.2730 as of 9:34 a.m. in London.

The Bank of England raised interest rates this month to the highest level in almost a decade on concern that domestic price pressures are building. A report yesterday showed the inflation rate climbed to 2.5 percent, above the central bank’s 2 percent target.

Still, the depreciation of the pound triggered by Brexit and meager wage growth so far have made it harder for consumers. The country is only just emerging from a year in which price gains outstripped wage growth. […]

Bloomberg.com — The dollar declined and U.S. equity futures climbed alongside Treasury yields, while the yuan jumped after China said its vice commerce minister will visit America for trade talks in late August.

S&P 500 Index futures rose and the greenback, which has seen recent strength on its role of a haven, fell for the first time in six days. Stocks stayed lower in most Asian markets though pared declines as news broke of the proposed meeting. Oil got a reprieve after slumping on a report that showed a gain in American stockpiles. Hopes on trade gave the Australian dollar a boost, while China’s offshore yuan had the biggest rally in more than a year. Emerging-market shares slipped, with the intraday drop from their January high reaching 20 percent.

The potential for a breakthrough in the trade standoff between China and the U.S. is helping shake off some of the caution that’s weakened risk assets over the past week. Markets have been rocked as turmoil in Turkey weighed on sentiment across many emerging- and developed-nation assets.

The Turkish lira edged lower Thursday after spiking as Turkey moved to deter short-selling of the currency while Qatar promised Wednesday to invest $15 billion in the Turkish economy to help the country avert a financial crisis.

Elsewhere, metals rebounded after a hammering Wednesday. In Hong Kong, currency interventions continued after the currency fell to the weak end of its trading band.