* Europe, S&P500 futures gain after Mnuchin confirms trade
talks
* Euro zone data weigh on euro, deepen anxiety about economy
* Sterling rises after parliament suspension ruled unlawful
* World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Marc Jones
LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Rekindled U.S.-China trade hopes
lifted share markets on Tuesday, while the pound was whipsawed
by another dramatic Brexit twist after the UK's top court ruled
the government's suspension of parliament had been unlawful.
There was more gloomy data from Germany to contend with too,
but Monday's confirmation that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin's and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would meet
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in two weeks' time raised spirits.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.3%, with
the eurozone banking index .SX7E up 0.6% after it had slumped
2.8% in the previous session. .EU Germany's bond yields were
also a touch higher after Monday's dour PMI data had triggered
their biggest fall since June. GVD/EUR
"A perceived lull in U.S.-China trade tensions has eased
market fears about an economic downturn," a group of BlackRock's
investment strategists wrote in a note.
Currency market moves were mostly small-scale, with one
notable exception - the pound.
Traders had waited for a Supreme Court ruling on UK Prime
Minister's Boris Johnson five-week suspension of parliament -- a
move known as prorogation in Westminster speak -- and when it
came it was dramatic and blunt. The move was "unlawful".
Sterling initially climbed as high $1.2487 GBP=D4 on the
view it would help prevent the UK being bundled towards a
'no-deal' Brexit at the end of October. But it quickly ran out
of momentum and retreated to $1.2460, up a modest 0.2% on the
day.
"I wasn't surprised to see the currency hop higher but I
also wasn't surprised to see cable (pound vs the dollar) run out
of steam ahead of $1.25," said TD Securities' European head of
currency strategy Ned Rumpeltin.
Johnson is now likely to head to his Conservative party's
annual conference at the weekend and rally his troops in
preparation for a likely national election which will be a
bitter fight over Brexit.
"He is going to have to rally his base and he is going to do
that around hard Brexit," Rumpeltin said. "That will be a moment
of clarity for the FX market. It will look at the polling and
the Conservatives are leading in the polls."
GOOD TO TALK
MSCI's broadest regional Asia share index .MIAP00000PUS
inched up 0.1%, led by 0.6% gains in mainland Chinese shares
.CSI300 after the vice head of China's state planner said
Beijing will step up efforts to stabilise growth. Japan's Nikkei .N225 ended up 0.2% after a market holiday
on Monday. Wall Street looked on track for modest gains, with
S&P futures ESc1 up 0.25%. Japan's yen traded at 107.62 yen per dollar JPY= , after
reaching two-week highs of 107.32 the previous day.
"The comments (from Mnuchin on China trade talks) 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 U.S. President Donald Trump's questioning
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 had helped send share prices
lower on Friday.
Among the main commodities, oil prices dipped on
expectations of subdued demand although uncertainty remained
about whether Saudi Arabia would be able to fully restore output
after recent attacks on its oil facilities.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 40 cents to $64.37 a barrel
by 0624 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were down 33
cents to $58.31.
"The demand side of the equation is back in focus," said
Michael McCarthy, senior market analyst at CMC Markets in
Sydney, pointing to sluggish manufacturing numbers in leading
economies in Europe as well as Japan.
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