China trade surprise gives stocks a lift

A man looks at an electronic board displaying the Nikkei average outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 2, 2016.

CHINA: Global stocks rose on Wednesday after surprisingly upbeat Chinese trade data offered hope Asia's biggest economy is finally stabilizing, fueling risk appetite.

China reported exports jumped 11.5 percent year on year in March -- the first increase since June, well above market forecasts, and a huge improvement on February.