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Markets celebrate the potential end of US government shutdown

Rae Wee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets.

Investors are ecstatic about the imminent end of the historic U.S. Government shutdown, which has disrupted everything from air travel and key economic data releases to the global markets.

The U.S. Senate advanced a bill passed by the House on Sunday. It will be amended in order to fund the federal government until the end of January and will include a package containing three full-year appropriations.

The Senate may pass the amended bill but it still needs to be approved by Congress and sent to the President Donald Trump. This could take a few days.

The positive momentum was sufficient to propel Nasdaq and S&P futures in Asia up by 1.2%, 0.7%, respectively, while European futures saw strong gains as well.

The dollar and U.S. Treasury yields rose, as did the Asia stock market.

The shutdown is taking a toll on the U.S. Economy. Federal workers, from airports to the military and law enforcement are not paid. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has limited access to government data.

Kevin Hassett, White House economist, said in an article that if the government shutdown continues the U.S. could see a contraction in the fourth quarter.

The data released on Friday showed that the U.S. consumer's sentiment fell to its lowest level in almost 3-1/2 years at the beginning of November, amid concerns about the economic impact of the shutdown.

After a few turbulent sessions last week, the stock market received a much needed boost after fears over high valuations for artificial intelligence and technology shares - sectors which have driven the market in this year.

Many investors still viewed the pullback not as a sign of greater trouble, but rather as a temporary breather.

Minutes of the Bank of Japan meeting in October showed that policymakers in Asia saw an increasing case for raising interest rates in near-term.

Discussions about the BOJ's rate hike are likely to increase the likelihood that it will happen next month or January. The timing depends on whether the BOJ is convinced enough by the comments and earnings of executives that companies will continue to pay their employees next year.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index grew 0.6%, while the CSI300 blue chip index in China fell 0.24%.

The world's No. 2 economy has seen a slight decrease in producer prices. Data showed that the world's No. 2 economy grew in October, and consumer prices were back to positive territory. Beijing is stepping up its efforts to curb excessive capacity and intense competition among firms.

Market developments on Monday that may have a significant impact

France: Reopening 3-month, 6-month, 9-12-month, and 1-year auctions of government debt

Reopening the 3-month and nine-month auctions of government debt

(source: Reuters)