New York (AFP)

Wall Street progressed shortly after opening on Thursday, lifted by China's announcement of an agreement with the United States on a gradual lifting of tariffs.

Its flagship index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose 0.69% at 1450 GMT, to 27,681.62 points.

The Nasdaq, with strong technological coloration, took 0.71%, at 8,469.97 points, and the expanded index S & P 500 gained 0.58% to 3,094.54 points.

The New York Stock Exchange finished in a disorganized fashion on Wednesday, appearing to pause after breaking new records earlier this week: the Dow Jones ended almost steady, yielding less than a point, the Nasdaq had pulled back 0.29% and the S & P 500 had gleaned 0.07%.

China announced Thursday that it has agreed with the United States for a gradual lifting of its mutual punitive tariffs as Beijing and Washington attempt to finalize a partial agreement on their trade dispute.

"During the past two weeks, the chief negotiators of both countries have been engaged in serious and constructive discussions," said Gao Feng, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

"They agreed to a gradual cancellation of additional tariffs, as and when progress towards a" final "agreement, he said at a press conference.

The statements reassured investors, worried the day before by press reports that the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to sign a partial trade agreement could be postponed to December.

"China's position is in the spirit of the latest negotiations, which gives the market the feeling that an agreement will be signed soon," said Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.

"But we must be aware that the Chinese point of view could be tempered if the Trump administration judges that China is showing too much arrogance or selfishness at this stage," tempers the expert.

The financial players also remained attentive to the continuation of the earnings season.

Disney and Activision Blizzard are among the companies that will perform this exercise Thursday after the close of the stock market.

In the bond market, the 10-year US debt rate stood at 1.891%, a sharp rise compared to the previous day's close (1.828%).

© 2019 AFP