financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Morning Bid: Green light from financial conditions, FX calm
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Morning Bid: Green light from financial conditions, FX calm
May 5, 2024 3:21 PM

(Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets.

Investor sentiment in Asia is set to open the week on a positive note on Monday, buoyed by last week's upward momentum in global stocks, calmer currency markets, and a general easing of financial conditions.

The main regional calendar events include services PMI figures from China and first-quarter GDP data from Indonesia, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Paris for talks with President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Investors will be hoping the rise in risk appetite following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's relatively dovish steer on the U.S. interest rate outlook on Wednesday continues into this week.

Wall Street and the MSCI World index hit three-week highs on Friday - S&P 500 had its best day since Feb. 22 - while the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index climbed to its highest since February last year.

Asian stocks' trough-to-peak rise in the last two weeks has been an eye-catching 8%.

U.S. earnings have, on the whole, been strong and company guidance generally bullish, the Fed appears reluctant to raise rates again and signs of softer economic data are keeping hopes of rate cuts this year alive.

Global and emerging market financial conditions eased significantly last week, and are now the loosest since March 22, Goldman Sachs's financial conditions indicators show.

Liquidity will be lighter than usual on Monday as London markets are closed for a holiday. Could the Bank of Japan take advantage and show its hand in the FX market?

The dollar plunged almost 5% against the yen last week on the back of two suspected bouts of intervention from Japan, one on Monday and one on Wednesday.

U.S. futures market data show hedge funds cut back their historically high short yen positions in the week through last Tuesday. That was probably accelerated by the yen's surge, and it is not unreasonable to think that some froth from the wider bearish Asia/bullish dollar trade has come off too.

Indonesia's GDP figures on Monday are expected to show the economy grew at an annual rate of 5.00% in the first quarter, a Reuters poll showed, slightly lower than Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati's forecast of 5.17%.

But seasonal factors are expected to mean GDP shrank 0.89% from the previous three months.

Indonesia's central bank last month delivered a surprise rate hike in a bid to support the rupiah which had fallen to a four-year low. Bank Indonesia's 7-day reverse repurchase rate is now 6.25%, the highest since it became the main policy rate in 2016.

On the political and diplomatic front, China's Xi Jinping is in Europe - his first visit to the continent in five years - and trade is high on the agenda, with France's Macron set to urge Xi to reduce trade imbalances.

Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Monday:

- China Caixin services PMI

- Indonesia GDP (Q1)

- Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Europe

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Stocks Fall Pre-Bell as Tariff Volatility Continues; Asia Gains, Europe Down
Stocks Fall Pre-Bell as Tariff Volatility Continues; Asia Gains, Europe Down
Mar 6, 2025
06:59 AM EST, 03/06/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets were tracking in the red before Thursday's opening bell as traders assess President Donald Trump's evolving international trade and tariff policies. Standard & Poor's 500 fell 1.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1% and the Nasdaq was off 1.3% in premarket activity. The majority of Asian exchanges were pointing...
Bond Yields, War Damp European Bourses Midday
Bond Yields, War Damp European Bourses Midday
Mar 6, 2025
06:50 AM EST, 03/06/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked lower midday Thursday as traders weighed higher interest rates, and the evolving Ukraine-Russia war. Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.85%, up from under 2.40% last week, following recent disclosures of plans to boost Germany's spending on defense and infrastructure, to be financed by debt. Oil issues...
Sterling extends drop versus euro after German fiscal boost
Sterling extends drop versus euro after German fiscal boost
Mar 6, 2025
LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - The pound extended a slide against the euro on Thursday, dropping to its weakest level since January as the single currency benefited from an improving growth outlook after Germany announced plans to massively boost fiscal spending. Sterling was last at 83.85 pence per euro, down about 0.2% on the day. It's dropped about 1.5% this...
Bund selloff continues as markets price in higher growth, fewer rate cuts
Bund selloff continues as markets price in higher growth, fewer rate cuts
Mar 6, 2025
* Bunds extend selloff on Germany's plans for higher spending * Markets price in higher growth, fewer ECB rate cuts * Euro area sovereign bond spreads roughly unchanged * Market gauge of inflation expectations at highest since July By Stefano Rebaudo March 6 (Reuters) - Benchmark Bund yields rose on Thursday after recording their biggest daily rise in more than...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved