Selloff or Market Correction? Either Way, Here's What to Do NextSee Overvalued Stocks

Asian shares firm as investors stay hopeful on U.S.-China disputes

Published 2019-10-01, 02:31 a/m
© Reuters.  Asian shares firm as investors stay hopeful on U.S.-China disputes
EUR/USD
-
USD/JPY
-
NZD/USD
-
XAU/USD
-
US500
-
AXJO
-
JP225
-
BIDU
-
DX
-
GC
-
ESH25
-
CL
-
EU50
-
2330
-
MIAPJ0000PUS
-
BABA
-
DXY
-

* Nikkei up 0.6%, ex-Japan Asia up 0.23%

* China markets begin one-week holiday closure

* European share futures at highest since June 2018

* Dollar index touches highest level since May 2017

* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

By Hideyuki Sano

TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Asian share prices ticked up on Tuesday as some investors clung to hopes the fourth quarter will bring progress in resolving the United-States trade war that's cast a shadow over the global economy.

European shares are expected to rise, with pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 futures STXEc1 trading up 0.39% to hit its highest levels since June last year.

U.S. stock futures ESc1 rose 0.35% in Asia, a day after the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.50%.

Technology sectors led New York gains on Monday while U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms bounced up after big falls on Friday, with Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) BABA.N up 0.75% and Baidu BIDU.O rising 1.53%.

In Asia, the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC 2330.TW of Taiwan jumped 2.9% to hit an all-time high.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS inched up 0.23% while Japan's Nikkei .N225 rose 0.6% and Australia's benchmark .AXJO by 0.8%, some of that coming after the central bank cut rates for a third time this year.

Starting on Tuesday, Chinese markets are shut for a week to mark 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro dismissed reports that the Trump administration was considering delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges as "fake news", giving short-term players an excuse to buy back risk assets. it was a fake news or not, it is becoming harder to know exactly what the U.S. administration will be doing," said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex Securities.

China and the United States are due to resume high-level trade talks next week in Washington.

"It's not clear how the U.S.-China talks will progress, given there are hard-liners against China in the administration. But if there's no further escalation in the upcoming meeting, markets will be relieved," Hiroki said.

While the tussle over trade and technology between the world's two largest economies has intensified, some investors are sticking to hopes of a compromise.

They say a tentative deal could be reached by the end of this year, given that President Donald Trump's administration would strive to avoid the U.S. economy falling into a recession in an election year.

"While we ought not to have preconception, for Trump, not having made a deal with China could be increasingly seen as negative ahead of the election next year," said Tomoo Kinoshita, chief global strategist at Invesco Asset Management in Tokyo.

In the currency market, the dollar's index .DXY against a basket of major currencies rose 0.16% to 99.555, its highest level since May 2017.

The euro extended its decline on worries about sluggish growth in the currency bloc.

The euro traded at $1.0888 EUR= , having slipped to a near 2 1/2-year low of $1.0885 in U.S. trade on Monday.

The yen was slightly weaker at 108.24 yen to the dollar JPY= , not far from last month's low of 108.48.

The Japanese currency showed no reaction to the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showing business confidence at big Japanese manufacturers worsened in the three months to September to its lowest level in six years. Australian dollar lost 0.6% to $0.6713 AUD=D4 , edging near its 10-year low of $0.66775 set in August, after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates for the third time this year to record low, as expected. New Zealand dollar slipped to a four-year low of $0.6234 NZD=D4 , following a recent string of weak local data.

Gold fell to a two-month low on the back of a robust U.S. dollar, last trading at $1,468.50 per ounce XAU= .

Oil prices rebounded in early Asian trade on Tuesday after production at the world's largest oil producers fell in the third quarter, although demand concerns continued to keep a lid on prices.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell 3.3% on Monday before rise 0.39% early on Tuesday to $54.28 per barrel.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.