* Chinese devaluation drives dollar higher vs basket
* Stocks fall in Asia and Europe
* Greek deal pushes lower-rated euro debt yields down
By Nigel Stephenson
LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - China's shock 2 percent
devaluation of the yuan on Tuesday pushed the dollar higher and
raised the prospect of a new round of currency wars, just as
Greece reached a new deal to contain its debt crisis.
Stocks fell in Asia and Europe as investors worried about
the implications of a move designed to support China's slowing
economy and exports. ID:nL3N10M1PP
The stronger dollar hit commodity prices, driving crude oil
down after Monday's hefty gains, though gold hit three-week
highs as investors focused on the risks to the global economy.
Weaker stocks lifted top-rated bonds, with yields on euro
zone debt also falling on the Greek deal, struck nine days
before Athens is due to repay 3.2 billion euros to the European
Central Bank. ID:nL5N10M05O
China's move, which the central bank described as a "one-off
depreciation" based on a new way of managing the exchange rate
that better reflected market forces, triggered the yuan's
biggest fall since 1994, pushing it to its weakest against the
dollar CNY=CFXS in almost three years.
The Australian dollar AUD=D4 , often used as a liquid proxy
for the yuan, fell 1.2 percent to $0.7322 as the U.S. dollar
index, which measures the greenback against a basket of
currencies .DXY , rose 0.4 percent before paring gains.
In Asia, the Singapore dollar SGD=D3 hit a five-year low
while the Malaysian ringgit MYR= and the Indonesian rupiah
IDR= hit lows not seen since the Asian financial crisis 17
years ago. The Japanese yen JPY= hit a two-month low of 125.08
to the U.S. dollar.
Investors who had held euro-funded yuan positions bought
back the single currency, pushing it up EUR= 0.2 percent to
$1.1042 and weighing on the dollar index.
U.S. reaction will be crucial. Washington has for years
pressed Beijing to free up the exchange rate to allow the yuan
to strengthen, reflecting the growth in the world's
second-largest economy.
Today, China's economy is slowing and the new exchange rate
mechanism gives markets greater ability to push the yuan lower,
just as the United States prepares to raise interest rates - a
step that should add to dollar strength.
"It does look, however modest, like an attempt to recoup
just a small amount of competitive edge lost in international
markets," said Simon Derrick, head of currency research at BNY
Mellon in London.
"What happens over the next few days matters. If we have a
currency that moves much more freely, fine. If, however, we go
back and it's just repegged ... that is currency war."
European shares fell. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300
index .FTEU3 was down 1 percent, led lower by car makers and
luxury goods companies, whose products have just got more
expensive for Chinese consumers.
"What is good for growth in China is unfortunately bad for
everybody else," said Bill McQuaker, co-head of multi-asset at
Henderson Global Investors.
Shares in Athens .ATG , however, gained 1.5 percent after
the country secured a third bailout deal with creditors, making
it the only European bourse to rise.
This followed falls in Asia. MSCI's broadest index of
Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS gave up early
gains and was down 1.4 percent at its lowest since February
2014. Japan's Nikkei .N225 slipped 0.4 percent.
On Chinese stock markets, airlines and importers fell,
though exporters rose. The CSI300 index .CSI300 of the largest
listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen lost 0.4 percent and
the Shanghai Composite .SSEC closed flat.
BONDS
The weakness in stocks boosted top-rated bonds. German
10-year yields DE10YT=TWEB fell 4 basis points to 0.65 percent
and U.S. equivalents US10T=RR dropped 6 bps to 2.16 percent.
The deal on another bailout for Greece also helped yields on
lower-rated Spanish and Italian bonds drop 5 bps apiece while
Greek two-year yields GR2YT=TWEB fell 4.8 percentage points to
14.67 percent, their lowest since March.
"The Chinese devaluation was taken as 'things are not going
that well in China' and this is a risk-off move," said Martin
van Vliet, senior rate strategist at ING, adding that "with the
Greek deal secured and the ECB continuously buying bonds,
peripheral spreads would have been much tighter (but for
China)".
Oil prices fell as dollar-priced commodities became more
expensive, weighing on demand. Brent crude LCOc1 was down 65
cents a barrel at $49.76.
Gold XAU= fell to as low as $1,093.25 before recovering to
around $1,1109 an ounce as investors sought safety.
"Probably gold is benefiting from fears that this is a new
round of 'currency war'," Macquarie analyst Matthew Turner said,
adding that China's move had increased uncertainties about the
global economy, which tends to be good for gold.