By Sharon Fay, Christopher Hogbin
Global equities advanced in the second quarter, but the path was rocky. Incoming earnings reports will provide important clues about how companies are coping with mounting challenges - from trade wars to global growth - and how investors should position.
US and European stocks outperformed, while stocks in Japan and China declined (Display). Financials and cyclicals led the gains. Value stocks trailed growth stocks. The MSCI World Index ended the quarter up 3.6% and has surged 16.7% in the first half of the year, in local currency terms.