MARKETS

Analysts warn newly-elected French president faces a series of difficult challenges ahead.

The Nikkei surged to 2.36% while weak Chinese trade data caused the Shanghai Composite to fall by 1.05%.

Euro climbs to $1.1023 as concerns France will leave European Union evaporate.

Saudi Arabia's Opec governor claims major oil producers were converging on the need to extend production cuts.

Traders sit on their hands preferring to wait for US employment data despite strong corporate news in London.

An elitist poster boy and right-wing bully pulpit screamer have no solutions for France's economic malaise.

Five-month low oil prices and a downturn in the commodities sector weighed heavily on investors.

Crude oil prices drop 4.8% to $45.52 a barrel - the lowest level since November 2016.

Shell Q1 profits beat expectations, while HSBC stems decline amid increasing lending activity.

Futures trades in the yellow metal see drop of over $20 as US central bank hints at another interest rate hike.

Banks have been rebuilding their balance sheets and returning to form – once again piquing equity investors' interest.

US central bank says economic slowdown experienced in Q1 is likely to be transitory.

Like-for-like sales grew by 3.4% during the first quarter of 2017.

The Hang Seng declined by 0.40% while the Sensex surged to 0.56%.

But probability of a June rate hike now up to 90%.

Former city trader and TipTV founder Nick Batsford discusses recent financials posted by major banks with market analyst Matt Brown.

Sterling endures high volatility after reports suggest Britain's Brexit bill could cost €100bn.

The Straits Times Index registered the region's strongest gain at 0.74%.

In the first 100 days of his White House residency, Trump has managed to fail at more things than most presidents do in a full term.

Market sentiment increasingly factoring incremental shale oil barrels as Baker Hughes records another US rig count rise.

Markit PMI shows UK construction sector expanded at the fastest rate in three years in April.

Port Arthur is North America's largest oil refinery that produces up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day

Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark rises 0.4% to 19,281 points.

Political uncertainty fuels continued inflows into sterling and euro money funds in Q1 2017.

Tug of market direction between higher US oil production and Opec output cuts is in full play.

Bumper results from Barclays and a turn for the better for RBS did not lift the FTSE 100 to positive territory.

Sterling shrugs off report showing UK economy grows 0.3% in the first quarter of the year.

Economic growth rate fell to its lowest since the first quarter of 2016.

President Donald Trump's recent comments on US-South Korea free trade agreement also alarm investors.