Chinese mining stocks are amongst the big winners in the wake of signalling by both Wen Jiabao and Ben Bernanke that central banks on either side of the Pacific are set to pursue further stimulus measures.
The absence of Xi Jinping from several key occasions of state this month has triggered grave concerns about the well-being of China's presumptive heir to power on the eve of the country's decennial leadership transition.
Gold traded slightly higher Tuesday, reversing some of Monday’s losses as investors await Thursday’s key announcement from the Federal Reserve. Outside markets were slightly positive as well, with the stock indices and energy markets poised for higher closes.
The unremitting deterioration of the eurozone's sovereign debt landscape continues to fuel uncertainties about the longevity of the euro as a hard currency.