Asian Stocks Rebound After Global Decline, Yen Rises
Asian stocks rebounded after a global sell-off as investors awaited U.S. employment data,
which could impact the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions.
Meanwhile, Chinese markets saw moves to support the struggling real estate sector amid weak political support.
Content
- Performance of Asian Stock Indices
- Impact of U.S. Data and Global Movements
- China and Commodities Movements
Performance of Asian Stock Indices
Asian markets bounced back after a global sell-off, with attention focused on upcoming U.S. employment data to gauge the future direction of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. The MSCI Asia Index rose by 0.8% after a more than 2% drop the previous day. This recovery was led by chip-making companies in South Korea and Taiwan, while indices in China and Hong Kong also opened higher.
U.S. Treasury bonds stabilized after the 10-year bond yield fell, bolstering expectations of significant interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the dollar dropped by 0.3%, and the yen trimmed its earlier gains, which were supported by real wage increases in Japan.
Impact of U.S. Data and Global Movements
Global financial markets reacted with volatility to U.S. economic data, as doubts lingered about the Federal Reserve’s ability to achieve a “soft landing.” In the tech sector, companies like Nvidia saw their worst two-day drop since October 2022. Attention now shifts to the U.S. jobs report, expected to heavily influence the Fed’s rate-cut decisions in the coming weeks.
In Asia, Nippon Steel shares halted their continuous decline following reports of potential intervention by U.S. President Biden in its $14.1 billion acquisition of United States Steel. U.S. Steel shares saw their steepest drop since 2017 in New York.
China and Commodities Movements
China is considering cutting interest rates on up to $5.3 trillion in mortgage loans to support the faltering real estate market.
Investor sentiment remains weak, with JPMorgan canceling its buy recommendation for Chinese stocks due to weak political support and potential volatility tied to the U.S. presidential election.
In commodities, oil prices rose following a report indicating a significant drawdown in U.S. crude inventories,
while gold held steady around $2,495, buoyed by U.S. job vacancy data.
Asian Stocks Rebound After Global Decline, Yen Rises