- Asian equities track Wall Street amid better-than-expected China CPI for November.
- Australia ignores Westpac Consumer Confidence, Beijing data as RBA’s Lowe deviates from generally hawkish mood.
- US policymakers inch closer to the much-awaited fiscal aid package, Treasury Secretary Yellen promises faster relief to state/local governments.
Asian shares print mild gains around weekly lows as traders wait for the US fiscal relief before cheering upbeat China inflation figures as well as a pause in the US bond sell-off. While portraying the mood, MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rises 0.90% intraday whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 struggles for a clear direction near 29,030 during early Wednesday.
Early in Asia, RBNZ called back some of the easy-money steps introduced during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but New Zealand’s NZX 50 seems to ignore the hidden reflation fears while rising over 1.0% by the press time. On the contrary, Australia’s ASX 200 bucks the generally positive tone, currently down 0.50% on a day, as RBA Governor Philip Lowe rejected rate hike scoped before 2024 while also marking uncertainty over bond purchases.
Chinese markets are mostly upbeat as February’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) printed welcome signs. Also favoring the benchmark CSI and Shanghai Composite Index could be the aftershocks of the previous day’s state-backed buying.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s KOSPI drops 0.30% intraday while markets in Indonesia and India cheer comments from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) when raising its 2021 growth forecast. “The speedier rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in some countries and the planned U.S. stimulus package helped underpin a brighter global economic outlook,” said OECD per Reuters.
On a broader footing, Wall Street cheered hopes of stimulus and Treasury yields eased before the cautious mood set in. The same could be reflected in mild losses of the S&P Futures.
Read: Wall Street Close: Bulls cheer stimulus hopes, pullback in US Treasury yields
Moving on, global investors will keep their eyes on the US covid relief bill updates from the House as any disappointment will be enough to recall the bond bears waiting at the door. Also important will be the US CPI for February amid reflation fears.
Read: US CPI February Preview: A perfect storm in the making?
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