Latest News

Asian shares pull back as investors question US economic strength

Asian share markets were slightly weaker on Tuesday as global financiers consider the possibility the U.S. economy's 'exceptionalism' is beginning to relax as production activity in the world's largest economy further damaged.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.1%, after U.S. stocks ended the previous session with moderate gains. The index is up 1.6% so far this month.

Australian shares were down 0.21%, while Japan's. Nikkei stock index slid 0.77%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was flat in early trade. and China's CSI300 Index off 0.16%.

The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes. reached 4.4001% compared with its U.S. close of 4.402% on. Monday. The two-year yield, which rises with traders'. expectations of greater Fed fund rates, touched 4.8184% compared. with a U.S. close of 4.818%.

On Monday, U.S. Treasury yields was up to the most affordable point in. 2 weeks, after the country's manufacturing activity slipped. for the second successive month in May.

The 2-year yield was 6 basis points lower while the 10-year. yield was down 11 basis points.

The sharper move at the long-end is a sign that weaker. making data is not likely to move the dial on Fed rate. cuts near term, but is possibly a signal of the marketplace's view of. neutral rate of interest as United States economic exceptionalism fades,. Westpac financial expert Jameson Coombs said in a note on Tuesday.

There was now 40 basis points of rate cuts by the end of. 2024 priced into financial markets expectations, he included.

In Europe, investors anticipate the European Reserve bank on. Thursday to cut the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index edged up 0.1%, the. Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.3%, and the Nasdaq. Composite increased 0.6%.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to win a. record-equalling 3rd successive term in office on Tuesday. when the 642 million votes cast on the planet's biggest election. are counted.

The result is expected to be favorable for the country's. monetary markets, according to analysts, on the hope India will. under more economic reform.

The dollar increased 0.16% versus the yen to 156.35 in. Asian trading on Tuesday. It is still some range from its. high this year of 160.03 in late April.

The European single currency was up 0.1% on the day. at $1.0912, having gotten 0.65% in a month, while the dollar. index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of. currencies of other major trading partners, was down at 104.

U.S. unrefined dipped 0.42% to $73.91 a barrel. Brent. crude fell to $78.05 per barrel. Both standards moved to. four-month lows on Monday after the Organization of the. Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together referred to as. OPEC+, agreed to start relaxing some production cuts from. October.

Most commodity experts had anticipated the production cuts to. be preserved till completion of the year, NAB economists stated.

Gold was slightly greater. Area gold was traded at. $ 2350.7266 per ounce.

(source: Reuters)