In Asian Equity Markets Japan’s Nikkei 225 was in positive territory, up by 0.92 percent with almost all sectors seeing gains. In Australia, the ASX 200 reversed its earlier losses to trade largely flat, with the heavily weighted financials sector down by 0.39 percent. South Korea’s Kospi traded up by 0.19 percent.The Greater China markets gained in early hours trade. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up by 1.17 percent as all of its major sectors rose, with materials and services up by around 1.9 percent. The Shanghai composite traded 0.77 percent up while the Shenzhen composite was higher by 0.893 percent.

In Currency Markets the US dollar’s safe-haven appeal dimmed on Monday after risk sentiment in the broader markets improved following a well-received speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. At a closely watched symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Fed chairman on Friday emphasised the central bank’s push to raise interest rates despite President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of higher borrowing costs. The euro was little changed at $1.1624 after going as high as $1.1654, its strongest since Aug. 2. The single currency had advanced more than 0.7 percent on Friday.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell slightly on Monday on concerns that a U.S.-China trade dispute will erode global economic growth, although looming U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil sector kept crude from falling further. Washington will target Iran’s oil exports with sanctions from November. International Brent crude oil futures were at $75.75 per barrel, down 7 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 9 cents at $68.63 a barrel. U.S. energy companies cut nine oil drilling rigs last week, dropping to 860, the biggest reduction since May 2016, energy services firm Baker Hughes said on Friday.

In US Equity Markets the S&P 500 index clinched its longest bull-market run on Friday, closing above its previous January high, as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed the U.S. central bank’s current pace of rate hikes. The S&P 500 gained 0.62 percent, to 2,874.69 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.86 percent, to 7,945.98. The small-cap Russell 2000 index also advanced 0.5 percent to reach a new closing high. Netflix Inc shares rose 5.8 percent to add the most gains to the S&P 500 after SunTrust Robinson Humphrey upgraded its rating on the stock to “buy” and projected that third-quarter subscriber growth would match or beat Wall Street estimates.

In Bond Markets the Treasury yield curve reached its flattest level since 2007 on Friday as comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed expectations that the U.S. central bank will continue raising rates. The yield curve between two-year and 10-year notes has flattened to 19 basis points, from 33 basis points at the beginning of August. Interest rate futures traders are pricing in a 98-percent chance of a rate hike at the Fed’s September meeting, and a 68 percent chance of an additional hike in December, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.