US export prices rose by 0.5pct in August, above forecasts for a flat result. Import prices fell 0.4pct, compared with forecasts of a 0.8pct drop in prices. US same-store chain store sales were up 4.5pct in the past week on a year ago according to Redbook Research. And the US government posted a budget deficit of US$134.15 billion in August, slightly above forecasts.

European shares lifted from 2-year lows on Tuesday as bargain hunters embraced bank stocks. Shares in Societe Generale rose by 15pct and Deutsche Bank rose by 8.2pct. Miners were also stronger with BHP Billiton up 1.0pct in London trade and Rio Tinto up 1.1pct. The FTSEurofirst index rose by 1.1pct, the German Dax gained 1.9pct and the UK FTSE rose by 0.9pct.

US sharemarkets rose for a second day on Tuesday with no new rumours to drive market trading. Shares in Best Buy lost 6.5pct after quarterly sales missed estimates. The Dow Jones rose by almost 45pts or 0.4pct , the S&P 500 rose by 0.9pct while the Nasdaq gained 37pts or 1.5pct.

US long-term treasuries fell again on Tuesday (yields higher) as equities continued to recover, causing investors to switch funds from bonds. The preference for equities was reflected in a US$21 billion auction of 10-year notes with the ratio of bids offered to those accepted at the lowest since May. US 2yr yields fell by 1pt to 0.205pct but US 10yr yields rose by 4pts to 1.99pct.

The US dollar lost ground against the Euro and commodity currencies over the European and US sessions. The Euro rose from lows near US$1.3560 to around US$1.3740, before ending the US session near US$1.3680. The Aussie dollar rose from lows around US102.65c to US103.60c, ending the US session near US103.20c. And the Japanese yen eased from 77.10 yen per US dollar to JPY76.80, before ending US trade at JPY76.85.

Global crude oil prices were again mixed on Tuesday as traders exploited arbitrage opportunities. The International Energy Agency has cut its forecast of global oil demand in 2011 by 160,000 barrels per day and cut the 2012 forecast by 190,000bpd. Nymex crude oil rose by US$2.02 or 2.3pct to US$90.21 a barrel and London Brent crude fell by US36c or 0.3pct to US$111.89 a barrel.

Base metal prices were generally softer on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday with prices down up to 1.4pct. But tin rose 0.9pct and copper edged up 0.1pct. And the gold price rebounded on Tuesday with the Comex December gold price up by US$16.80 an ounce or 0.9pct to US$1,830.10.

Ahead: In Australia, consumer sentiment data is released together with dwelling commencements. In the US, retail sales and producer prices data is due.