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US stock futures rose after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted that President Donald Trump may provide a pathway to tariff relief.

(Reuters) -Atos will launch a reverse stock split, likely to take effect by May 1, CEO Philippe Salle said on Wednesday, as the French group seeks to restore investor confidence following the completion of a vital financial restructuring plan last year. The reverse stock split plan was nearly unanimously approved at a general meeting in January. Atos reported annual revenue of 9.58 billion euros, down 5.4% year-on-year, missing its previous forecast, as market weakness and contract terminations weighed on its business.

The raging Trump-led trade war - branded "dumb" by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - certainly has investors' attention, keeping sentiment subdued across asset classes. For instance, one index of global equities has lost some 2% so far this week and Brent crude is plumbing six-month lows. But it's not as simple as that, with Wall Street poised to open higher following a sell-off on Tuesday, and futures indicating even bigger gains for European bourses.

Italy's campaign to put more of its huge public debt in the hands of small domestic savers will grow increasingly difficult, analysts say, but foreign investors lured by Rome's political stability and improving finances can plug any funding gap. Italy has been courting retail investors since the euro zone debt crisis in 2012 in the belief that they are less likely to withdraw their cash than foreigners at times of market stress. The strategy has been successful, raising around 245 billion euros ($257.52 billion) in a succession of bond issuances dedicated to the sector.

(Bloomberg) -- China’s economic goals drew a mixed response from market watchers, with some lauding Beijing’s commitment to a growth target of about 5% and others ruing that the largely in-line projections lacked any major positive surprises.Most Read from BloombergHow Upzoning in Cambridge Broke the YIMBY MoldRemembering the Landscape Architect Who Embraced the CityRepublican Mayor Braces for Tariffs: ‘We Didn’t Budget for This’NYC’s Finances Are Sinking With Gauge Falling to 11-Year LowUS Tent

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq tumbled after Trump's tariffs went into effect. The dollar also bucked expectations, dropping as trade-war fears climbed.

Trump often pointed to gains in stocks as evidence of his success during his first term. Now he isn't flinching from tariffs even as markets tank.