Good morning,

U.S. stocks led global equities higher as the ‘Phase 1’ US-China trade deal was formally signed. The terms were broadly in line with expectations and included commitments from China to purchase U.S. goods and services worth over $200bn over the next two years. The Senate also passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, and positive economic data also helped lift sentiment. New home construction in the U.S. surged 16.9% in December (the highest level since 2006) whilst U.S. financials kicked off the Q4 earnings seasons. Morgan Stanley grabbed the headlines with impressive profit and revenue numbers, whilst Goldman Sachs saw a more mixed reaction to their release. More big names such as Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel are all set to report this week, as earnings is set to take much of the focus in the coming weeks. CLICK HERE