In Asian Equity Markets stocks were in a sober mood on Monday as fighting in Ukraine raged on with no sign of stopping, leaving investors clutching at hopes for an eventual peace deal, while oil prices climbed anew as supplies remained tight. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.2 percent. Japan’s Nikkei was shut, but futures traded around 150 points above the cash close. Chinese blue chips lost 0.1 percent, with investors waiting on further details of possible stimulus from Beijing.

In Currency Markets the Japanese yen continued its slide on Monday morning, while the aussie and kiwi remained bid, with traders eying a string of public remarks by global central bank policy makers this week, including Fed chair Jay Powell later Monday. The dollar climbed slightly on the yen to as much as 119.3 yen challenging the six-year peak of 119.39 touched on Friday. The euro was at $1.1044 and sterling at $1.3158 with the future direction of both dependent on the war in Ukraine, which has hurt expectations of European economic growth.

In US Equity Markets major indexes closed higher on Friday, with the biggest boost from recently battered technology stocks, after talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping over the Ukraine crisis ended without big surprises. The Dow rose 0.8 percent, to 34,754.93, the S&P 500 gained 1.17 percent, to 4,463.12 and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.05 percent, to 13,893.84. Shares of Boeing Co finished up 1.4 percent after reports the planemaker was edging toward a landmark order from Delta Air Lines for up to 100 of its 737 MAX 10 jets.

In Commodities Markets oil prices settled higher on Friday, but posted a second straight weekly loss, after a volatile trading week with no easy replacement for Russian barrels in a tight market. Brent crude futures settled up 1.2 percent, to $107.93 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up 1.7 percent, at $104.70 a barrel. Spot gold was down 0.7 percent to $1,929.56 per ounce. Spot palladium eased 0.3 percent to $2,503.99 per ounce. Silver fell 1.6 percent to $24.94, while platinum rose 0.7 percent to $1,027.49.

In European Equity Markets stocks rose on Friday adding to the strong gains earlier this week, as investors focussed on Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations and digested the talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.9 percent higher with technology stocks, leading the gains. German real estate giant Vonovia fell 3.3 percent even as it said it was on course for “significant growth” after a record year and the acquisition of smaller rival Deutsche Wohnen in 2021.

In Bond Markets long-term U.S. Treasury yields edged down on Friday as lack of a resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to weigh on markets, while short-term yields kept rising on the back of a hawkish U.S. central bank, further flattening the curve. The benchmark 10-year yield was down to 2.145 percent from 2.167 percent and the 30-year yield was at 2.416 percent from 2.461 percent on Thursday, in a sign of risk aversion. Meanwhile, yields on two-year Treasuries were up at 1.956 percent from 1.915 percent, a day after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time since 2018.