U.S. stock futures higher  in pre-market trading for , December 13.The Dow Futures is trading at 24,598.00 up with +0.13% percent or +32.00 point.  The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,657.38 up with +0.18% percent or +4.88 point. The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,793.75 up with +0.37% percent or +24.75 point.

In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere,Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 21,816.19 up with +0.99% percent or +213.44 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 26,465.96  up with +1.07% percent or +279.25 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,634.05 up with +1.23% percent or  +31.90 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at  35,947.98 up with +0.47% percent or  +168.91 point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 is trading at 6,878.16 with a loss of -0.030% percent or -2.03  point. Germany’s DAX is trading at 10,933.23 up  with +0.035% percent or +3.80 point. France’s CAC 40 is trading at 4,906.27  with a loss of -0.065% percent or -3.17 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 is trading at 349.65  with a loss of -0.10% percent or -0.28 point.

Thursday’s Factors and Events

Market participants are gradually becoming more optimistic about the prospect of the U.S. and China reaching a comprehensive trade agreement. It follows a flurry of news this week pointing to cooling tensions between the two global powers.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported Chinese state-owned companies had bought more than 1.5 million tons of U.S. soybeans. It was the first major U.S. soybean purchases in more than six months, and the clearest sign to date that China plans to step up efforts to support its slowing economy.

wednesday’s Activity

For the day the Dow is trading at 24,527.27 with +0.64% percent or +157.03  point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,651.07  up with +0.54% percent or +14.29 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,098.31 up with +0.95% percent or +66.48 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,455.32 up with +1.05% percent or +15.19  point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 906.98  up with +1.05% percent or +9.39 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,777.25 up  with +0.78% percent or +13.80 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,176.02  up with +0.51% percent or +5.94 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,560.05 up with +0.59% percent or +9.20 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,464.91 up with +0.56% percent or +8.13 point;