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REFILE-GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks open higher as Fed's Powell nixes inflation fears

Published 2021-02-24, 07:28 p/m
Updated 2021-02-24, 08:36 p/m

(Corrects to add dropped word in headline)

* Fed chair again eases concerns about inflation

* Yield on 10-year Treasury jumps to 1.435%

* Dow hits record high, big tech still losers

* GameStop doubles in price in frenzy trade

* Reuters Live Markets blog: LIVE/

By Echo Wang

MIAMI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Asian stocks perked up on Thursday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed interest rates would stay low, calming market fears that higher inflation might prompt the central bank to tighten the monetary spigot.

"The dovish influence from the Fed is going to continue to resonate over in Asia. That's really good for emerging market assets when we've got a really good impulse from the Fed," said Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at Axi.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO rose 0.90% in early trade while Japan's Nikkei 225 .N225 added 1.37%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures .HSI HSIc1 rose 0.92%.

In a second day of testimony in Washington, Powell reiterated the Fed's promise to get the U.S. economy back to full employment and to not worry about inflation unless prices rose in a persistent and troubling way. oil climbed to fresh 13-month highs after U.S. government data showed a drop in crude output as a deep freeze disrupted production last week.

Gold prices struggled for traction as elevated Treasury yields eroded the allure of bullion as an inflation hedge.

The dollar hit fresh three-year lows against the pound and commodity-linked currencies including the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars, which are expected to benefit from a pick-up in global trade as growth rebounds.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained 0.12%, as rising stocks on Wall Street pushed the global benchmark to reverse early losses.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI set a record high rising 1.35% to 31,961.86 while the S&P 500 .SPX gained 1.14%. The Nasdaq index, which fell as much as 1.3% earlier in the session, regained its footing by early afternoon and closed up 0.99%.

Shares of GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) GME.N , at the center of a volatile retail trading frenzy moves in late January, more than doubled in price in late trading and continued to soar in heavy, post-market trade.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)'s one-dose COVID-19 vaccine appeared safe and effective in trials, paving the way for its approval for emergency use as soon as this week. & Johnson rose 1.3% following the news, seen as another boost to a strong recovery.

The dollar index =USD fell 0.083%, with the euro EUR= up 0.02% to $1.2167. The Japanese yen weakened 0.03% versus the greenback at 105.91 per dollar.

Oil prices rose after U.S. government data showed a drop in crude output as a deep freeze disrupted production last week.

U.S. crude CLc1 recently rose 0.3% to $63.41 per barrel and Brent LCOc1 was at $67.31, up 2.97% on the day.

Spot gold XAU= dropped 0.1% to $1,802.72 an ounce. U.S. gold futures GCc1 gained 0.30% to $1,802.00 an ounce.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Emerging markets

http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV Global asset performance

http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn Up and away: global bond yields on the rise

https://tmsnrt.rs/3kesTqW

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