Asian stock rush pauses\, bonds rally on sober Fed

Stocks

Asian stock rush pauses, bonds rally on sober Fed

Reuters SYDNEY | Updated on June 11, 2020 Published on June 11, 2020

File photo   -  Bloomberg

Asian shares eased on Thursday, while bonds rallied after a downbeat economic outlook from the US Federal Reserve stoked speculation it would have to add to already historic levels of stimulus to safeguard recovery.

Still, stock losses were modest given the scale of their recent rise. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.3 per cent, a natural pause after 10 straight sessions of gains. Japan's Nikkei slipped 1.1 per cent as the yen firmed, while Chinese blue chips were off 0.4 per cent. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.4 per cent.

The Dow had ended Wednesday down 1.04 per cent, while the S&P 500 lost 0.53 per cent. Bucking the trend, the Nasdaq Composite added 0.67 per cent to a fresh record helped by gains in Microsoft and Apple.

Long road to recovery

In a challenge to the stock market's recent optimism, the Fed predicted the US economy would shrink 6.5 per cent in 2020 and unemployment would still be at 9.3 per cent at year's end.

Data out earlier had also shown core US consumer prices fell for a third straight month in May, the longest stretch of declines on record.

As a result, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he was “not even thinking about thinking about raising rates”. Instead, he emphasised recovery would be a long road and that policy would have to be proactive with rates near zero out to 2022.

“While Powell did not commit to any new action at this time, his focus on downside risk and uncertainty reinforces the message that they will take further action, probably by September,” was the take of economists at JP Morgan. “Outcome or calendar based guidance looks likely and Powell left the door open for moving to some form of interest rate caps.”

Powell confirmed the Fed was studying yield curve control, a form of easing already employed by Japan and Australia.

All of which, saw yields on 10-year Treasuries fall 9 basis points on Wednesday, the biggest daily drop in almost two months. Yields were down at 0.72 per cent on Thursday, a sharp rally from last week's peak of 0.96 per cent. The risk of more easing kept the US dollar under pressure, seeing it skid to a three-month low on a basket of currencies at 95.714.

Dollar down, gold up

The dollar carved out a one-month trough on the yen to trade at 106.92, threatening support at 106.72. The euro was firm at $1.1389 having hit its highest since mid-March.

The prospect of super-low rates for longer was a boon for gold overnight, leaving it at $1,732 an ounce.

Oil prices fell back after US data showed crude inventories had risen to a record high.

Brent crude futures fell 88 cents to $40.85 a barrel, while US crude lost 93 cents to $38.67.

Published on June 11, 2020

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