- Shares buoyed on relief over Trump’s China response and easing of coronavirus lockdowns
- Gold and silver climb as US cities rocked by protests over killing of George Floyd
- UK and eurozone manufacturing declines ease while China’s factories return to growth in May
12.09pm BST
Time for a round-up of today’s news.
Global stock markets are rallying on relief that there hasn’t been an escalation in tensions between the US and China, and amid further easing of Covid-19 lockdowns. While Donald Trump said he would strip Hong Kong of its special status in response to Beijing’s decision to impose a new controversial security law on the semi-autonomous territory, he didn’t outline any specific measures on Friday night.
10.51am BST
Times are tough for carmakers (and most other companies), although car showrooms are allowed to re-open in England from today. Experts are expecting a brief surge in sales after dealerships were closed for 10 weeks, but warn that this could fade quickly as a firm bounceback in consumer demand looks unlikely.
In France, new car sales plunged 50.3% in May from a year earlier, following an 89% slump in April and a 72% decline in March, new industry figures show. Some 96,310 cars were registered in May.
Source: Stocks rise despite US protests and US-China jitters – business live
Category: Stock markets, Business
