GLOBAL MARKETS-U.S. stock futures rise on Trump's health progress

* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Trump's contraction of coronavirus stuns investors
* U.S. stock futures rise on expectations Trump to leave
hospital
* Dollar falls against Swiss franc but rises versus the yen

By Stanley White
TOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures rose on Monday
on hopes that President Donald Trump could be discharged from
hospital later in the day, easing some of the political
uncertainty that shook Wall Street in the previous session.
Trump, 74, was flown to hospital for treatment for the
coronavirus on Friday, but his doctors say he has responded well
and could return to the White House on Monday. S&P 500 e-mini futures EScv1 rose 0.45% in early Asian
trading, while Nasdaq futures NQc1 gained 0.58%.
Asian markets looked set to follow that lead with Australian
S&P/ASX 200 futures YAPcm1 up 1.16%, Japanese stock futures
NKc1 rising 0.75%, and ​Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures
.HSI .HSIc1 up 1.38%.
The dollar edged higher against the yen but fell slightly
against the Swiss franc as traders jockeyed for position ahead
would could be a volatile day in global markets.
Doctors treating Trump say they are pleased with his
progress. Relief about his health could fuel a rally in equities
and other risky assets as investors prepare for the run-up to
next month's U.S. presidential election.
"Equities and other risk-on traders should be well supported
by easing concerns about Trump's health," said Junichi Ishikawa,
senior currency strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.
"For the dollar, the impact is not quite as clear cut. It
should fall against most currencies due to an increase in risk
appetite, but the yen is also weak, and that's the one currency
the dollar can rise against."
Investors around the world were stunned late Thursday after
Trump announced that he and the first lady had tested positive
for coronavirus.
With less than a month until the presidential election on
Nov. 3, Trump's contraction of the coronavirus is another source
of market volatility that makes the outcome of the vote even
more difficult to predict.
In currency markets, the dollar rose 0.19% to 105.54 yen
JPY=D3 but fell 0.48% to 0.9171 Swiss franc CHF=EBS as some
investors adjusted positions in safe-harbour currencies.
Gold XAU= , another asset often bought during times of
uncertainty, rose 0.1% to $1,900.92
Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose 0.25% to $39.37 a barrel
while U.S. crude futures CLc1 gained 0.4% to $37.20 per
barrel.