US inflation data helps lift Wall Street and Asian markets
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Singapore/Boston — Asia’s stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Thursday, as investors returned to tech stocks, gold and selling dollars after steady virus figures and a surprising jump in US inflation boosted sentiment.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2%, and gains in semiconductor makers drove Japan’s Nikkei 1.9% higher to a six-month peak.
The rises come after a tech rally left the S&P 500 within a whisker of a record closing high overnight, in a climate where even bad news is regarded as good news if it increases the chances of more stimulus to aid recovery.
“We’d seen value outperforming over the last few days, but that was unwound last night,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Melbourne brokerage Pepperstone, pointing to a drop in US real yields as inflation expectations rose.
“Maybe that was enough to get people back into the short dollar, long precious metals, long tech trade,” he said.
Rising fuel costs lifted US consumer prices 0.6% in July, compared with expectations for 0.3%, leaving core inflation at 1.6% for the year to July.
At the same time, the number of daily new Covid-19 infections in the US seems to be stabilising around 55,000. S&P 500 futures traded flat.
The bond market was steady after a huge auction and the generally upbeat mood drove selling overnight, with benchmark 10-year US debt yielding 0.6622%.
A softer dollar helped gold rise steadily, adding 1% to $1,937/oz after whipsawing around $1,900 overnight.
Australia was the outlier in regional equity markets, with selling of communications giant Telstra after a profit plunge dragged on the index.
Markets are still eagerly awaiting a breakthrough in wrangling over the next US stimulus package, despite little sign of progress in talks, and a crucial weekend meeting between US and Chinese trade officials.
“Exuberance in US equities begs the question of whether markets have succumbed to inflated optimism rather than reacting to inflation and some optimism,” said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho in Singapore, warning the inflation bounce seemed fragile.
“The V-shaped market rebound appears removed from the lived realities of an arduous slog back for the real economy,” he said.
Dollar slips
Besides gains on Wall Street, the broader mood had investors turning the blowtorch back on the US dollar.
It has steadied in August after a 4% slump in July against a basket of currencies, but was trading ...
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2%, and gains in semiconductor makers drove Japan’s Nikkei 1.9% higher to a six-month peak.
The rises come after a tech rally left the S&P 500 within a whisker of a record closing high overnight, in a climate where even bad news is regarded as good news if it increases the chances of more stimulus to aid recovery.
“We’d seen value outperforming over the last few days, but that was unwound last night,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Melbourne brokerage Pepperstone, pointing to a drop in US real yields as inflation expectations rose.
“Maybe that was enough to get people back into the short dollar, long precious metals, long tech trade,” he said.
Rising fuel costs lifted US consumer prices 0.6% in July, compared with expectations for 0.3%, leaving core inflation at 1.6% for the year to July.
At the same time, the number of daily new Covid-19 infections in the US seems to be stabilising around 55,000. S&P 500 futures traded flat.
The bond market was steady after a huge auction and the generally upbeat mood drove selling overnight, with benchmark 10-year US debt yielding 0.6622%.
A softer dollar helped gold rise steadily, adding 1% to $1,937/oz after whipsawing around $1,900 overnight.
Australia was the outlier in regional equity markets, with selling of communications giant Telstra after a profit plunge dragged on the index.
Markets are still eagerly awaiting a breakthrough in wrangling over the next US stimulus package, despite little sign of progress in talks, and a crucial weekend meeting between US and Chinese trade officials.
“Exuberance in US equities begs the question of whether markets have succumbed to inflated optimism rather than reacting to inflation and some optimism,” said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho in Singapore, warning the inflation bounce seemed fragile.
“The V-shaped market rebound appears removed from the lived realities of an arduous slog back for the real economy,” he said.
Dollar slips
Besides gains on Wall Street, the broader mood had investors turning the blowtorch back on the US dollar.
It has steadied in August after a 4% slump in July against a basket of currencies, but was trading ...
