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· European stocks closed higher on Tuesday, as investors monitored a fresh batch of corporate earnings and supportive economic data.

· Asian share markets pulled ahead on Wednesday as investors were relieved after a raft of Chinese data beat expectations in a sign Beijing’s policy stimulus may finally be gaining traction in the world’s second-largest economy.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.2 percent to near its highest since July. China blue chips rose slight to stay just below their best levels since March last year.

· Stock markets in Asia have already given investors most of the returns they can get this year — and shares prices in the region may struggle to grow much more for the rest of 2019, J.P. Morgan said on Tuesday.

Asian stocks have had a strong start to the year after ending 2018 in negative territory. The MSCI Asia ex-Japan index — a widely followed benchmark for stocks in the region — has grown by around 13.68 percent so far this year. The index fell by 16.24 percent last year.

· Japan's Nikkei advanced to a 4-1/2-month high on Wednesday as automakers rallied on hopes of progress in Japan-U.S. trade talks, while companies with large exposure to China gained on upbeat Chinese economic data.

The Nikkei share average ended up 0.3 percent at 22,277.97, its highest closing level since early December.

Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday that no deal had been reached on individual trade issues after two days of talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, but Motegi hoped for a good result "at an early stage."

· Shanghai stocks rose to a 13-month closing high on Wednesday, as surprisingly firm data pointed to a recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.

The blue-chip CSI300 index was unchanged at 4,087.24, while the Shanghai Composite Index ended 0.3 percent higher at 3,263.12, its highest close since March 21, 2018. The Shanghai index had gained 2.4 percent on Tuesday.

China’s economy grew at a steady 6.4 percent pace in the first quarter, defying expectations for a further slowdown, as industrial production jumped sharply and consumer demand showed signs of improvement.

But analysts warn it is too early to call a sustainable turnaround in China, and further policy support is needed to maintain momentum in the world’s second-largest economy. Many had expected a recovery only in the second half of 2019.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC