Trade war related source piece chop has......>

STOCKS: Trade war related source piece chop has been the order of the day in

Asian hours, although the major regional benchmarks have emerged from the storm

in the green, with U.S. equity index futures closer to neutral levels after

struggling in early trade.

- To recap, the impending ministerial level DC trade talks were never going to

provide the ultimate end game to the trade war, but the tone of the meeting's

conclusion and any fall out will likely be key for risk assets in the coming

days. The aforementioned source reports have clouded the picture, with some

suggesting that the talks may be curtailed, while others have pointed to the

potential for concessions from the U.S. side.

- The consumer staples sector generally fared well across the major regional

indices, while real estate generally struggled.

- Nikkei 225 +0.5%, Hang Seng +0.2%, CSI 300 +0.2%, ASX 200 +0.1%.

- S&P 500 futures -4, DJIA futures, -47, NASDAQ 100 futures -3.