financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Morning bid: Yen hurtles toward historic low, Fed in focus
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Morning bid: Yen hurtles toward historic low, Fed in focus
Mar 19, 2024 3:21 PM

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

The central bank policy party rolls on into Wednesday with China and Indonesia under the spotlight in Asia ahead of the main event in Washington later in the day, as investors continue to digest the Bank of Japan's historic rate hike the day before.

The yen fell to a four-month low on Tuesday, hurtling towards 151.00 per dollar as investors took the BOJ's messaging to mean any further tightening will be gradual. 

If so, rate and yield spreads will continue to support major currencies like the dollar at the expense of the yen. The "carry trade" dynamic could be underscored even more on Wednesday by the Federal Reserve's policy statement, updated economic projections and Chair Jerome Powell's press conference.

The yen's slide on Tuesday bucked the trend among major global currencies and pushed it back within sight of the recent multi-decade lows around 152.00 per dollar.

The weak yen goes hand in glove with stronger Japanese stocks - the Nikkei 225 is back above 40,000 and within touching distance of its record high 40,472 points from earlier this month. A new high on Wednesday?

Markets across the continent could open Wednesday in buoyant mood and shrug off the previous day's weakness, thanks to another rise on Wall Street and fall in U.S. bond yields.

Any upside could be limited, however, by investors' reluctance to take on too much exposure ahead of the Fed. And although China's economic surprises index is at a 10-month high, worries persist over the country's property crisis.

This helps explain why 30-year Chinese government bond yields are down 40 basis points this year, recently hitting a record low of below 2.4% and coming within a whisker of dropping below 10-year yields, which also have hit 22-year troughs.

Analysts reckon the People's Bank of China will leave its one- and five-year loan prime rates unchanged, after it left key bank lending rates on holds earlier this month. 

Despite the deflationary pressures still stalking the economy, monetary policy has "pretty much reached the limits of what it can do ... and so any further easing is likely to be modest," according to Win Thin at BBH.

Bank Indonesia, meanwhile, is also expected to hold rates for a fifth month on Wednesday but cut in the second quarter of the year, according to a slim majority of economists in a Reuters poll.

With inflation within the target range of 1.5% to 3.5% since July and the economy showing signs of a slowdown, all 31 economists in the March 8-15 poll agreed the central bank's next move would be a cut. The only issue is when.

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

- China LPR decision 

- Indonesia monetary policy decision

- U.S. Fed policy decision

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 >
PRECIOUS-Gold off record highs as Fed's Powell douses rate-cut hopes
PRECIOUS-Gold off record highs as Fed's Powell douses rate-cut hopes
Feb 11, 2025
* Fed chief reiterates go-slow approach on further rate cuts * Bullion hit record high of $2,942.70 on Tuesday * US CPI data due at 1330 GMT (Adds graphics, details and updates with mid-session trading) By Anushree Mukherjee Feb 12 (Reuters) - Gold prices retreated on Wednesday from an all-time high hit in the previous session, as Federal Reserve Chair...
EMERGING MARKETS-Asian markets get respite due to lull in tariffs news, dollar
EMERGING MARKETS-Asian markets get respite due to lull in tariffs news, dollar
Feb 11, 2025
* Philippine c.bank board meeting on Thursday * Kuala Lumpur stocks gain 0.5% * Philippine peso unchanged (Updates as at 0614 GMT) By Rishav Chatterjee and Adwitiya Srivastava Feb 12 (Reuters) - Stocks in emerging Asian markets got some respite on Wednesday, with Indonesian stocks snapping a five-day losing streak, after a lull in the constant news flow of U.S....
Japan's Nikkei ends higher on tech gains, tariff worries limit gains
Japan's Nikkei ends higher on tech gains, tariff worries limit gains
Feb 11, 2025
(Update with closing prices) TOKYO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average closed higher on Wednesday, led by technology stocks, but the gains were capped due to persistent worries about the U.S. tariff policy. The Nikkei rose 0.42% to close at 38,963.7 after briefly logging marginal losses. The benchmark, however, gained as much as 0.78% earlier in the session....
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks steady; sanguine Powell knocks bonds and gold
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks steady; sanguine Powell knocks bonds and gold
Feb 12, 2025
(Updates throughout with early European trading) * European shares up, dollar rally pauses * More Trump tariff announcements expected * U.S. inflation data in focus after Powell's testimony By Amanda Cooper LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Stocks and dollar held steady on Wednesday ahead of U.S. inflation data that could uphold Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's view that there is...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved