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Asian shares slide on Fed rate cut rethink; China GDP in focus

Asian stocks fell and the dollar reached more than fivemonth highs on Tuesday as strongerthanexpected U.S. retail sales for March further strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to be in a rush to cut interest rates this year.

Rising geopolitical tensions kept danger belief in check, lifting rates of gold and oil, while financier focus in Asia turns to China with GDP data due at 0200 GMT.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 1.4% to nearly seven-week lows of 521.92, with Japan's Nikkei down 1.6%.

U.S. stocks closed dramatically lower on Monday as a jump in Treasury yields weighed on sentiment in the middle of issues about increasing tensions in between Iran and Israel.

Israelis waited for word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would react to Iran's first-ever direct attack on their nation. Netanyahu on Monday summoned his war cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hr to weigh a response to Iran's weekend missile and drone attack, a government source said.

The markets have come alive with the sound of derisking, deleveraging, hedging and broad managing of risk direct exposures, stated Chris Weston, head of research study at Pepperstone.

There is certainly not much in the news flow to influence risk-taking and there is a growing list of aspects to refrain from purchasing and to manage direct exposures.

U.S. retail sales increased 0.7% last month, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Monday, while financial experts polled had actually anticipated retail sales, which are primarily goods and are not adjusted for inflation, would increase 0.3%.

The stronger-than-expected data comes after a report last week highlighted inflation stays stickier than markets had anticipated, leading to a drastic scaling back of rate cuts this year.

Traders now anticipate 45 basis points of cuts this year, below more than 160 bps in anticipated alleviating at the start of the year. Markets are now pricing in September, instead of June, to be the starting point for rate cuts, according to CME FedWatch Tool.

The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was at 4.608% in Asian hours having risen to a five-month high of 4.663% on Monday.

The raised yields boosted the dollar and kept the yen near 34-year lows it has actually been rooted at in the past couple of days.

The dollar index, which determines the U.S. currency versus six competitors, was up 0.028% at 106.23, having actually risen 0.189%. overnight. The yen compromised to 154.39 leading to fresh concerns. over intervention and comments from officials.

Japanese Financing Minister Shunichi Suzuki stated on Tuesday he. was closely seeing currency moves and will supply a comprehensive. response as needed after the dollar surged to a fresh 34-year. high.

Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of. Australia, stated raised oil costs and expectations of higher. for longer U.S. rate of interest are underpinning dollar/yen.

The dollar/yen remains at threat of drawing back dramatically. must the Ministry of Finance decide to enter the FX. markets and purchase JPY. The weaker the JPY stays, the greater the. danger that the Bank of Japan will deliver an earlier rate hike in. our view.

All eyes during Asian trading hours will be on China GDP. in addition to commercial activity, repaired asset financial investment, retail. sales and home market information.

The home market has yet to verify a bottom, and. markets will view the cost data closely for any indications of. stabilisation; a bottoming out of housing prices would be a. positive indication of sentiment recovery, ING economists said.

In products, U.S. crude increased 0.63% to $85.95 per. barrel and Brent was at $90.63, up 0.59% on the day on. increasing tensions in the Middle East.

Area gold included 0.1% to $2,385.88 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)