Global stock markets edged up Monday after a survey showed manufacturing in the world's number-two economy rose to a six-month high last month.
HSBC said the preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers' index for China rose to 51.2 from 50.1 in August. Numbers above 50 indicate an expansion in activity.
Elsewhere in Asia, trading was subdued. Japan's stock market was closed for a public holiday while a powerful storm forced Hong Kong markets to shutter in the morning. In the afternoon, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6 per cent to 23,371.54.
South Korea's Kospi rose 0.2 per cent to 2,009.41 while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5 per cent to 5,252.50. Benchmarks in Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand fell. Those in Taiwan and the Philippines rose.
Early in Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 was marginally lower at 6,593.66. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 per cent to 8,693.20. France's CAC-40 gained 0.2 per cent to 4,213.07. Wall Street appeared set to open higher, with Dow Jones industrial futures rising 0.3 per cent to 15,445. S&P 500 futures gained 0.3 per cent to 1,706.60.
Benchmark oil for November delivery was down 16 cents to $104.58 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The October contract dropped $1.72, or 1.4%, to settle at $104.67 on Friday. Last week, oil dropped $3.54, or 3.3%. That's despite a 2.5% increase on Wednesday, when the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it would keep its stimulus policy in place.
In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3522 from $1.3523 U.S. late Friday. The U.S. dollar fell to 98.96 yen from 99.32 yen.
