Asian stocks revolve around Fed meeting and trade talks



[ad_1]

Wednesday 2:20 GMT

What do you want to know

  • A futures contract on iron ore over a mine accident in Brazil
  • Asian equities unbalanced before US-China trade talks
  • British Pound Rises Following Vote on Plan B of Brexit
  • Oil prices are rising

Overall view

Asia-Pacific stock markets gained momentum on Wednesday as US-China trade talks begin in Washington and investors wait for more clarity from the Federal Reserve's January meeting .

Hot topic

The United States and China started trade negotiations for two days. It is their first face-to-face discussions within the government since the creation of a three-month truce in December. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the end of the talks.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index rose from a premature loss to 0.3% higher at the lunch break, cyclical stocks of consumption posting a 0.6% decline and the # 39, Hang Seng China Enterprises index of Chinese companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange rising 0.2%. hundred. Mainland China's CSI 300 rose 0.2%, wiping out earlier losses.

Significant gains from the iron ore mines supported Australia's S & P / ASX 200 in the face of concerns over the impact of a failed tailings dam failure in Brazil on supply. The ASX 300 metals and mining index advanced 2.5%, with Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton advancing 3.7% and 2.1%, respectively. The broader index rose 0.1%.

Iron ore futures for May delivery jumped 5.9 percent to Rmb 589 per tonne at the Dalian Commodity Exchange, a 16-month high, in morning trading.

In addition, Apple's suppliers in Asia posted a mixed performance after Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, said the future of the iPhone remained promising, with the company announcing a drop in sales of 5 % for the three months preceding the end of December. Apple's shares surged more than 5% in after-hours business as sales figures exceeded expectations. The chip maker TSMC lost 0.9%, while the precision industry Hon Hai, known as Foxconn, grew by 0.1% and that of Sunny Optical to 1.3% in Hong Kong.

In Japan, the Topix index fell by 0.2%, financial stocks fell by 0.5% and technology stocks by 0.1%.

During the night on Wall Street, the S & P 500 lost 0.2% as investors waited for Apple's results.

Forex

The pound was boosted by 0.2% to $ 1.3087 after the House of Commons backed Theresa May's proposal to return to Brussels to reopen the Brexit negotiations. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, said that the agreement was not open to renegotiation.

"All eyes will turn to the EU because the question now becomes to know what is achievable in the new negotiations. In the current state of affairs, an extension is not entirely unthinkable, "said Geoffrey Yu, director of the UK investment office, UBS Global Wealth Management, referring to Britain's exit schedule from the union. .

At the same time, the dollar index (a measure of the greenback versus a basket of peers) decreased by 0.1%. The 10-year US Treasury yield rose 1 basis point to 2.719%, as investors waited for information on the upcoming decisions of Fed Chairman Jay Powell following the two-day meeting. the central bank will begin Wednesday.

The yen was stable at 109.34 yen for the dollar and the euro was up 0.1% at $ 1.1438. The Australian dollar appreciated 0.6% to 0.7192 dollars, after consumer prices rose 1.8% in the fourth quarter, exceeding the 1.7% forecast in the Reuters survey.

China's onshore renminbi, which is allowed to trade 2% on both sides of a daily mid-point set by the People's Bank of China, was stronger at Rmb 0.37977 per dollar, the highest since July. The onshore renminbi was 0.2% stronger at Rmb 6.7324.

Basic products

Oil prices rose, Brent rising 0.6% to $ 61.69 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate, the US brand, 0.5% to 53.55 dollars.

Gold rose 0.2% to $ 1,313.56 an ounce, its highest level in more than eight months.

For market updates and comments, follow us on Twitter @FTMarkets

[ad_2]
Source link