From Bloomberg

• "US stocks were set to rise on Friday as the revival of Federal Reserve policy-easing bets pushed Treasury yields lower.

• Contracts on the S&P 500 rose 0.4%, with the underlying index poised for its biggest weekly gain since November’s election, while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.5%. Recent data and comments from Fed officials have suggested the central bank will have room to cut interest rates this year. Ten-year Treasury yields edged lower, slipping more than 15 basis points below recent multi-month highs.

• Swap markets now expect some 40 basis points worth of rate cuts from the Fed this year, moving from not even pricing a single quarter-point move earlier this week.

• “Even equity managers were more concerned over rates than earnings,” said Kevin Thozet, a member of the investment committee at Carmignac. “What we have had is reassuring data on this front — whether retail sales or inflation — hinting that the US economy may not be overheating. This has allowed for fixed income markets to take a bit of a breather.”

• Europe’s Stoxx 600 index also gained and was on course for its strongest week since September. Basic resources shares led the way after Bloomberg News reported that Glencore Plc and Rio Tinto Group held early-stage talks about combining their businesses. The news, alongside a weaker pound, helped London’s FTSE 100 hit a record high.

• China-focused European sectors such as retail and auto also climbed after data suggested Beijing’s stimulus blitz is succeeding in shoring up economic growth. "