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Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
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European stock futures rally 1%, Wall St futures rise
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Oil falls a second day, euro extends gains
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Nikkei gains 1.4% thanks to weaker yen
(Updates prices as of 0600 GMT)
By Stella Qiu
SYDNEY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. and European stock
futures rallied on Thursday on optimism over prospects of a
peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, offsetting a jump in
Treasury yields as higher inflation threatens to close the door
to any policy easing this year.
Trade war jitters persisted as U.S. President Donald
Trump said he would impose reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday or
Thursday on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports.
Gold prices climbed back towards the record reached on Tuesday.
The euro extended an overnight bounce, last up
0.5% in Asia to $1.0433, helped by Trump's phone calls with
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr
Zelenskiy, which raised hopes that the years-long war could be
nearing an end.
Oil prices fell for a second day, testing some key support
levels, while EUROSTOXX 50 futures climbed 1%, pointing
to a higher open for European markets.
Nasdaq futures rose 0.4% and S&P 500 futures
gained 0.2%.
Japan's Nikkei gained 1.4% thanks to a much
weaker yen. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside
Japan rose 1.2% to the highest since early
December.
"There were pretty significant moves like in the euro
and European assets. The spectre of war has definitely hung
pretty heavy over the region," said Kyle Rodda, a senior analyst
at Capital.com.
"The optimism is probably somewhat premature."
Chinese blue chips were 0.2% higher and Hong
Kong's Hang Seng index extended its bullish run, up 2.5%
to another four-month high.
Overnight, data showed U.S. consumer prices rose by the
most in nearly 1-1/2 years in January. The closely watched core
inflation index, which excludes food and energy prices, rose
0.4% in the month, above forecasts for 0.3%.
With the Federal Reserve already signalling no rush to cut
rates further, investors scaled back expectations of more policy
easing from the Federal Reserve this year to just 28 basis
points, equivalent to just one cut.
Treasury yields jumped on the inflation data, with 10-year
yields up 10 basis points overnight to a three-week
top of 4.66%. They were down 3 bps on Thursday at 4.6092%.
Analysts at Barclays still expect one rate cut from the Fed
this year.
"Risks are now skewing toward the Fed delivering no cuts
this year, and we are putting somewhat more weight on
off-baseline scenarios where rate hikes enter the conversation,"
they said in a note to client.
In the foreign exchange market, the dollar
lost 0.2% to 154.15 yen, having jumped 1.3% overnight. The yen
was the biggest loser from higher U.S. yields.
In commodities markets, oil prices extended their overnight
decline as hopes grew for a peace deal between Russia and
Ukraine that would mean the end of sanctions that have disrupted
supply flows.
U.S. crude fell 1% to $70.64 a barrel, after dropping
2.7% overnight and Brent was also 1% lower at $74.43,
having dropped 2.4% overnight.
Gold rose 0.5% to $2,918 per ounce, not far from
its record high of $2,942.70 hit on Tuesday.