Bloomberg - Shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai surged as permission for a link between the two bourses overshadowed a surprise drop in China’s trade figures that spurred losses in emerging-market currencies. European index futures rose.

The Hang Seng Index jumped 1 percent by 7:41 a.m. in London, heading for the highest close since Jan. 17 after dropping as much as 0.5 percent after China’s March exports and imports data missed estimates. The yuan slipped 0.2 percent in offshore trading as Turkey’s lira weakened 0.4 percent. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index added 0.4 percent after the Federal Reserve eased concern about U.S. rate rises, while contracts on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) were little changed. Indonesian equities plunged and the rupiah weakened after elections failed to show a clear winner.

Read more...