Amicable Trump-Xi meeting lifts market

THE better-than-expected outcome to the G-20 meeting between US president Donald Trump and his China counterpart Xi Jinping cheered investors, giving equities a much needed lift from the doldrums of recent weeks.

"After spending the better part of two months in trade war purgatory and with G-20 done and dusted, risk markets have responded to Saturday's events in a reveller tone," Vanguard Markets managing partner Stephen Innes observed.

The bullish spirit of the day saw the Straits Times Index (STI) streak ahead to start the third quarter with a bang. It ended 50.65 points or 1.5 per cent higher at 3,372.26.