Reuters

China denied on Friday that it had offered a package to slash the U.S. trade deficit by up to $200 billion.

Italy’s two anti-establishment parties on Friday promised to ramp up spending in a program for a new coalition government, putting them on a collision course with the E.U.

The British pound slipped on Friday as worries about whether Britain would stay in the E.U.’s customs union after Brexit weighed on the currency.

Oil prices held firm on strong demand, ongoing supply cuts led by OPEC and looming U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Stocks edged up as investors kept a cautious watch US-China trade negotiations.

China said it was dropping an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum imports, a conciliatory gesture as officials meet in Washington.

The Canadian dollar edged lower against its U.S. counterpart as investors turned attention to domestic inflation & retail sales data due on Friday.

Oil prices climbed above $80 a barrel the first time since Nov. 2014, before retreating on climbing U.S. output to end unchanged.

New applications for jobless benefits increased more than expected, but the number of Americans on unemployment rolls fell to its lowest level since 1973.

Italy’s two anti-establishment parties met on Thursday to finalize a governing accord.