US PRE MARKET

The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,505.62 up with +0.79% percent or +19.62 point.Other U.S. stock futures higher in pre-market trading for  December 31.The Dow Futures is trading at 23,239.00 up with +0.89% percent or +204.00 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,348.00  up with +0.87%percent or +54.63 point.

MONDAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The market’s focus is largely attuned to the progress on the U.S.-China trade standoff after President Donald Trump said he had a “very good call” with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday to discuss trade. The president also claimed that “big progress” was being made on this front. Trump’s statements sparked gains in markets worldwide.

Following the comments, however, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump “may be overstating how close the two sides are to an agreement,” citing sources “familiar with the state of negotiations.”

FRIDAY’S ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 23,062.40 with a loss of -0.33% percent or -76.42 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,485.74  with  a loss of -0.12% percent or -3.09 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 6,584.52  up with +0.076% percent or +5.03 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,337.92  up with +0.46% percent or +6.11 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 840.21 up with +0.58%percent or +4.84  point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,646.49   with a loss of -0.046% percent or -0.75  point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,104.34  with a loss of -0.075% percent or -0.83 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,459.52   with a loss of -0.066% percent or -0.96 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,372.33  with a loss of -0.11% percent or 1.45 point;

In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 20,014.77   with a loss of -0.31% percent or -62.85 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 25,845.70  up with +1.34% percent or +341.50 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,493.90  up with +0.44% percent or  +10.81 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 36,073.61 with a loss of -0.0086% percent or -3.11 point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 is trading at 1,372.33 with  a loss of -0.11% percent or -1.45 point. Germany’s DAX is trading at 10,558.96  up with +1.71% percent or +177.45 point. France’s CAC 40 is trading at 4,729.51 up with +1.09% percent or +50.78 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 is trading at 337.63  up with +0.41% percent or +1.41 point.