Asian Stock Market: Fails to offer a warm welcome to Japanese traders

• Asian shares trade mixed amid the US dollar’s sustained run-up and return of Tokyo’s traders.
• BOJ’s Kuroda favors stabilization in markets, RBNZ stood pat on rates, LSAP.
• Aussie Retail Sales slumped but the passage of US stopgap funding countered the bears.
• September month PMIs are in focus amid serious concerns over virus wave 2.0.

Asian equities fail to track Wall Street gains as the US dollar’s run-up battles the coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. As a result, the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fails to move much, down 0.05% now, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 flashes 0.40% losses during the pre-European open on Wednesday.

The US Congress passes the bill to avoid the October month shutdown but the latest COVID-19 cluster in Brooklyn fails to recall the bulls. Even so, stocks in Australia and New Zealand manage to rise notably amid separate catalysts. While Australia’s ASX 200 cheers upbeat prints of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) PMIs, up over 2.0%, New Zealand’s NZX 50 takes clues from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s (RBNZ) inaction and registers 1.25% upside as we write.

Elsewhere, stocks in China fail to entertain traders with mild losses but Japanese traders react to the latest risk-off mood as they return from a four-day holiday. Furthermore, South Korea’s KOSPI and Indonesia’s IDX Composite follow the footsteps of Beijing’s shares. However, India’s BSE Sensex adds minor gains amid recently receding virus figures.

On Tuesday, Wall Street closed on the positive side technology shares propelled the run-up. Also helping the bulls were upbeat US data and nothing new from the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during testimony.

That said, S&P 500 Futures stay mostly unchanged around 3,300 while the US 10-year Treasury yields stay mildly positive near 0.67% by the time of the press.

Looking forward, the initial estimation of September month Manufacturing and Services activities from Europe, the UK and the US will be the key to watch. Although no major good news is likely to arrive from scheduled PMIs, sustained recovery from the previous numbers, which is less likely, can keep the latest risk-on mood.