NEW YORK, Aug 19 — The steadying of the US Treasury market and talk of economic stimulus in Germany and China helped lift Wall Street stocks early today.

Yields on the 10-year US Treasury note were solidly higher, rising back above those for two-year notes, an improvement for an indicator seen as a reliable recession warning.

The Dow suffered its worst session of the year last Wednesday after yields on short-term US Treasuries briefly exceeded long-term notes, but since then, US stocks have risen the last three sessions.

About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.0 per cent at 26,139.11.

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The broad-based S&P 500 gained 1.1 per cent to 2,919.02, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 1.2 per cent to 7,994.16.

This week’s calendar includes new home sales for July, as well as minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting.

But all eyes will be on the high-profile annual central bank gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that includes an appearance by Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Friday.

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Markets expect the Fed to cut interest rates again this year after enacting the first rate cut in more than a decade last month, a move economists see as helping to delay the onset of an economic downturn.

Several leading retailers reported will report earnings this week, including Home Depot, Target and Nordstrom.

Among individual companies, Apple rose 2.9 per cent after President Donald Trump said Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook made a persuasive argument against tariffs on Apple goods made in China in light of its rivalry with South Korean company Samsung. — AFP