*

Broad declines for US equity markets, down for fourth day

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Weekly jobs data adds to investor pessimism

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Trump renews attack on Fed Chair Powell

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BOJ Governor Ueda to meet with finance minister as JGB

yields

set fresh highs

(Updates markets, adds new analyst quote, BOJ meetings, JGB

selloff)

By Gregor Stuart Hunter

SINGAPORE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The yen regained its

footing and the U.S. dollar veered between gains and losses

against most of its biggest peers in volatile trading in Asia on

Wednesday that sent investors to safe havens like gold and

Treasury bonds after a days-long global selloff in stocks.

The yen advanced 0.1% after hitting a nine-month low

against the dollar on Tuesday and was last fetching 155.37 yen

to the dollar.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback's

strength against a basket of six currencies, fluctuated as U.S.

Treasury bonds drew bids, even amid rising uncertainty over the

Federal Reserve's next move. The gauge edged 0.1% lower at

99.523.

The dollar had strengthened alongside demand for Treasury

bonds even as odds of a Fed rate cut fell, which likely

indicated safe-haven buying, analysts from DBS in Singapore said

in a research report.

"Investors may be seeking safety from U.S. tech stocks,

which have remained weak on persistent worries about stretched

AI overvaluations," they wrote.

Global equity markets have been hit hard this week, with the

S&P 500 on a four-day losing streak on concerns about

valuations of AI stocks and U.S. equity futures extending losses

in Asian trading on Wednesday. Chip giant Nvidia is due to

release its third-quarter results later on Wednesday.

Amid the rout in risk assets, the Australian dollar fell

0.4% to $0.6483, while the kiwi slipped 0.5% to

$0.56305.

The euro stood at $1.1586, edging 0.1% higher after

hitting a one-week low in U.S. trade.

Sterling was up 0.1% at $1.3151.

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BOND SELLOFF

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will meet with key

government ministers later on Wednesday, including Finance

Minister Satsuki Katayama, as markets speculate about central

bank policymaking under the new administration of Prime Minister

Sanae Takaichi.

Japanese government bonds (JGBs) were sold off on

Wednesday, sending benchmark yields to a 17-year high and

40-year yields to a new record, as concerns swirled about the

size of Takaichi's stimulus package. However, a closely-watched

auction of 20-year bonds proceeded without incident.

Swaps pricing indicates the market attributes a 74%

probability that the BOJ's next move is a hold at its meeting on

December 19, versus only 26% for a hike.

U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS SURGE

Adding to the sense of market anxiety, initial jobless claims

data released on Tuesday showed the number of Americans on

jobless benefits surged between mid-September and mid-October.

"This was the first data release by the Department of Labor

since the U.S. government shut down its federal operations on

the first day of October, and it wasn't great," said Tony

Sycamore, market analyst at IG in Sydney.

The "more important test" will come with the delayed release

of Thursday's nonfarm payrolls release for September, he added.

Traders are inching up bets on monetary easing from the Federal

Reserve at its next meeting, although there is still uncertainty

given division within the central bank on whether to delay a

rate cut.

The market now considers the event to be a coin toss. Fed

funds futures are pricing an implied 49% probability of a

25-basis-point cut at the December 10 meeting, compared to a

42.4% chance a day earlier, according to the CME Group's

FedWatch tool.

Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said on Tuesday

he hopes coming data and ongoing community interviews will help

clarify where the economy is heading.

U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on Federal

Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday, saying "I'd love to get

the guy currently in there out... but people are holding me

back." Powell's term as Fed chair is up in May.

Trump will meet the final shortlist of candidates for the next

Fed chair after Thanksgiving and he could announce his pick

before Christmas, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on

Tuesday.

Capital flows data from the Treasury Department showed

Japan's holdings increased for a ninth straight month in

September. Japan remained the largest non-U.S. holder of

Treasuries with $1.189 trillion, its biggest holdings since

August 2022.