* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Yuan fixed beyond 7 per dollar, but not as weak as feared
* Chinese export and imports beat forecasts in July
* Recession talk fuels rush to bonds, curve inverts further
* Gold breaks $1,500 for first time in over 6 years
* European markets set to open higher
* Oil rallies on rumours of Saudi action on supply
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Asian shares were trying to piece together a rally on Thursday as Beijing reported surprisingly solid trade numbers while also limiting the fall in its yuan, offering a brief respite from fears of a global currency war.
Data showed Chinese exports rose 3.3% in July from a year earlier, when analysts had looked for a fall of 2%. Imports also declined by less than expected, suggesting some resilience to the drawn-out Sino-U.S. tariff struggle. helped by fixing the yuan at a firmer level than many had feared, even though it was beyond 7 per dollar level for the first time since the global financial crisis. reacted by paring a little of their recent hefty losses. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS bounced 0.9%, though it was still down more than 7% over the past two weeks.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 edged up 0.5%, and away from seven-month lows, while Chinese blue chips .CSI300 rose 1.2%. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 firmed 0.5% and EUROSTOXX STXEc1 futures 1%.
Investors have increasingly come to fear the trade war will prove protracted enough to tip the world into recession, and have piled into bonds and gold as a hedge.
"Financial markets are raising risks of recession," said JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) economist Joseph Lupton.
"Equities continue to slide and volatility has spiked, but the alarm bell is loudest in rates markets, where the yield curve inverted the most since just before the start of the financial crisis."
Yields on U.S. 30-year bonds US30YT=RR dived as deep as 2.123% overnight, not far from an all-time low of 2.089% set in 2016. Ten-year yields US10YT=RR dropped further below three-month rates, an inversion that has reliably predicted recessions in the past. US/
The latest spasm began when central banks in New Zealand, India and Thailand surprised markets on Wednesday with aggressive easings, while the Philippines is expected to cut later on Thursday. TO THE RESCUE?
"The decision by these APAC central banks to 'go hard and early' has provided further fuel to concerns of a global recession," said Rodrigo Catril, a senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank. "This also means that the Fed will need to come to the rescue."
Chicago Fed President Charles Evans signalled on Wednesday he was open to lower rates to bolster inflation and counter risks to economic growth from trade tensions. 0#FF: moved to price in a 100% probability of a Fed easing in September and a near 24% chance of a half-point cut. Some 75 basis points of easing is implied by January, with rates ultimately reaching 1%. FEDWATCH data on German industrial output stoked concerns Europe might already be in recession and pushed bund yields deeper into negative territory. of which fuelled speculation that the major central banks would also have to take drastic action, if only to prevent an export-crimping rise in their currencies.
The Bank of Japan would be under particular pressure as the yen JPY= has gained sharply from the flood to safe havens, leaving it at 106.16 per dollar from 109.30 just a week ago.
The euro has also bounced to $1.1208 EUR= , from a two-year trough of $1.1025, while the U.S. dollar index has backtracked to 97.542, from a recent peak of 98.932.
New Zealand's dollar was still picking up the pieces after sliding as much as 2.6% on Wednesday when the country's central bank slashed rates by a steep 50 basis points and flagged the risk of negative rates. kiwi was huddled at $0.6456 NZD=D3 , down 1.1% for the week.
The rapid decline in yields helped lift gold above $1,500 for the first time since 2013. Spot gold XAU= was last at $1,500.30 per ounce, having been as far as $1,510 on Wednesday. The precious metal is up 16% since May. GOL/
Oil prices regained some ground as talk that Saudi Arabia was weighing options to halt crude's descent helped offset a build in stockpiles and fears of slowing demand. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 futures climbed $1.69 to $57.92, though that followed steep losses on Wednesday, while U.S. crude CLc1 rose $1.64 to $52.73 a barrel.
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https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4 Asia-Pacific valuations
https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Richard Borsuk)