Sensex, Nifty Seen Higher At Open As Oil Prices Tumble After OPEC+ Plan

(RTTNews) - Indian shares look set to open higher on Monday as the latest U.S. jobs data came in better than expected, easing fears of a potential recession.

Energy-related stocks could be in focus as crude prices plummeted over $2 a barrel after OPEC+ announced plans to further increase oil output.

U.S. President Donald Trump's mixed signals on trade, foreign fund flows, ongoing cross-border tensions and the latest batch of earnings may sway sentiment as the day progresses.

Trump suggested that his administration could strike trade deals with some countries as soon as this week, without specifying any countries.

Trump also said he is willing to lower tariffs on China at some point, adding he had no plans to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Trump administration plans to impose a 100 percent tariff on films produced overseas, extending his restrictive trade policies on U.S. imports to the entertainment sector for the first time.

Asian markets were muted in thin trade, with markets in South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong closed for holidays.

Gold prices were up nearly 1 percent as the U.S. dollar continued to struggle around the 100 mark ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, scheduled for May 7.

U.S. stocks rose sharply on Friday and Treasury yields rose, with sentiment boosted by a stronger-than-expected report on the job market and some de-escalation in Sino-U.S. trade tensions.

The S&P 500 surged 1.5 percent to end higher for the ninth consecutive session, marking its longest winning streak in over twenty years. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also rose 1.5 percent while the Dow added 1.4 percent.

Data showed U.S. non-farm payroll employment shot up by 177,000 jobs in April compared to expectations for an increase of about 130,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate came in unchanged at 4.2 percent, matching economist estimates while job growth in February and March were downwardly revised to 102,000 jobs and 185,000 jobs, respectively, reflecting a net downward revision of 58,000 jobs.

European stocks closed higher on Friday amid easing concerns about U.S-China trade relations.

The pan European STOXX 600 gained 1.7 percent. The German DAX rallied 2.6 percent, France's CAC 40 climbed 2.3 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 advanced 1.2 percent.