Asian equities down, sterling waiting for destiny By Reuters

By Wayne Cole

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian stock markets were mostly in the red on Wednesday as investors were discouraged, while a pound sterling was waiting for its fate before a new parliamentary vote on Brexit.

The widest MSCI index of Asia Pacific ex-Japan shares () slowed by 0.4% in slow trade and almost all major indices in the region recorded losses.

Japan's Nikkei () led the way with a decline of 1.3%, with data indicating machine orders fell in January at the fastest pace in four months.

Shanghai blue chips () slipped 0.4% after two days of gains. E-Mini futures for the S & P 500 () were down 0.25%.

The appetite for risk had stalled after British lawmakers had crushed Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal, forcing parliament to decide in the coming days whether he was willing to support a Brexit without agreement or ask for a last minute deadline.

Legislators voted against 391 against 242 the amended agreement reached in May with Brexit, while his last-minute talks with EU leaders on Monday to appease the concerns of his critics eventually proved unsuccessful .

On Wednesday, Parliament will decide on the opportunity not to leave the EU without any agreement. If that fails, another vote on Thursday will decide whether to extend the deadline for Brexit.

"Today 's vote also seems to go against the government," said David de Garis, director of the economy and markets at National Australia Bank.

"Assuming that Thursday's vote finds a majority in favor of an extension – as can be expected – it will probably comfort the pound," he added. "It's still a rapidly changing environment, with political pressure at naturally understandable levels."

The pound could do with a little comfort after a few wild sessions. That was the last at $ 1,3085 , having been as high as $ 1.3296 and as low as $ 1.3017 so far this week.

Slowdown in US inflation

On Wall Street, Boeing Co (N 🙂 lost 6.1% more than its biggest drop in two days since June 2009, as more and more countries shut down the company's 737 MAX 8s after Sunday's crash in Ethiopia second fatal crash in months.

The fall of Boeing pushed the Dow () down 0.38%, even as the S & P 500 () gained 0.30% and the Nasdaq () added 0.44%. ()

A weak US inflation report for February burned bonds while tarnishing the dollar. The annual rise in consumer prices has slowed to its lowest level since September 2016, at 1.5%.

The data has simply heightened the Federal Reserve's interest rate expectations and may even seem more accommodative at its monetary policy meeting next week.

US 10-year bond yields () fell sharply to their lowest level in 10 weeks at 2.596%, while the dollar slowed to 96.956 () against a basket of currencies.

The dollar drifted to 111.18 , while the euro climbed to $ 1,1289 (), far from the low of $ 1,174 reached for 20 months last week. [USD/]

In the commodities markets, the depreciation of the dollar allowed gold to reach its highest level in the last two weeks, and it remained at $ 1,304.11. ;ounce .

Oil prices rose slightly following tightening global supply after a Saudi official announced that the kingdom was planning to cut its oil exports in April, while the US government was reducing its growth forecasts of domestic production of crude. [O/R]

US crude () was up 20 cents to 57.07 dollars a barrel, while futures on Brent crude () added 11 cents to 66.78.