* S&P500 futures gain after Mnuchin comments on trade talks
* Dismal euro zone data hurts euro, deepens anxiety about
economy
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Hideyuki Sano
TOKYO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures gained in
early Asian trade on Tuesday after U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin said U.S.-China trade talks will resume in early
October while the euro struggled in the wake of dismal European
manufacturing and services data.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS barely budged, up just 0.03% while Japan's
Nikkei .N225 ticked up 0.10% after a market holiday on Monday.
U.S. stock futures ESc1 gained 0.39%, helped by comments
from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that U.S.-China
trade talks will resume next week. He later clarified that the
negotiations will take place in two weeks.
"The comments gave a little bit of boost to sentiment, but
markets are still not that optimistic either," said Masahiro
Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset
Management.
"It seems there have been a lot going on behind the scenes,"
he said, referring to unusual exchanges in which U.S. President
Donald Trump questioned a decision by his top trade negotiators
to ask Chinese officials to delay a planned trip to U.S. farming
regions. That cancellation was seen by markets as a sign all is not
well in the U.S.-China talks and helped to send share prices
lower on Friday. The dispute between the world's two largest
economies has dragged on for well over a year, rattling
investors and denting global growth.
A slowing global economy remained front and centre in
financial markets, as poor business activity readings from the
euro zone deepened fears of a recession and suggested more
stimulus was required. The euro wobbled at $1.0995 EUR= , falling below a key
support around $1.10 and not far from a 28-month low of $1.0926
touched earlier this month.
Sterling also slipped to $1.2435 GBP=D4 , having peaked at
a two-month high of $1.2582 set on Friday as traders looked to a
Supreme Court ruling on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson
misled Queen Elizabeth over his reasons for suspending
parliament this month.
The Supreme Court said it will issue its decision at 0930
GMT on Tuesday.
The collapse of the British travel firm Thomas Cook TCG.L
could also put some pressure on the pound by highlighting the
weakness of British retailing. The yen traded at 107.49 yen per dollar JPY= , having hit
two-week highs of 107.32 on Monday.
U.S. Treasuries yields extended their decline, with the
10-year rate falling to 1.716% US10YT=RR , edging down further
from 1.908% marked on Sept. 13.
Oil prices dipped slightly but were still supported by
doubts on whether Saudi Arabia would be able to restore full
output as it has promised after the Sept. 14 attacks on its
facilities.
Brent crude LCOc1 futures fell 0.45% to $64.48 a barrel
while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 lost 0.39%
to $58.41 per barrel.
Gold held firm at $1,522.2 per ounce XAU= , near its
highest level in more than two weeks on global growth concerns
while silver was upbeat at $18.649 per ounce XAG= after a 3.6%
jump on Monday.
(Editingt by Shri Navaratnam)