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Japanese stocks head for finest week in 4 years as fading development fears raise markets

Asia shares were headed for a weekly gain on Friday and Japan's benchmark Nikkei was poised for its best week in over four years as positive danger sentiment spilled over from Wall Street, while the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields held broadly constant.

Last week's market turmoil was changed by calmer conditions today after a raft of U.S. economic information eased economic crisis fears worldwide's largest economy and pressed back versus expectations for aggressive U.S. rate cuts.

Our evaluation is that the market fallout from the weak early August U.S. data was disproportionate and in big part reflected the rapid loosen up of congested positions in some markets, said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics.

While the risk of a recession in the U.S. has increased a. little, there are few indications of a more significant crisis. developing.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. sophisticated 1.18% and was set to increase more than 2%. for the week, while U.S. futures extended gains following a. strong over night money session on Wall Street.

S&P 500 futures rose 0.13%, while Nasdaq futures. included 0.22%. Similarly, EUROSTOXX 50 futures. gotten 0.25% and FTSE futures were little altered.

Strong U.S. retail sales information and low weekly jobless claims. were the most recent shot in the arm for the positive risk mood,. following a benign inflation report earlier today that. declared bets for impending Fed rate cuts, however likely at a. determined speed.

Markets are now pricing in simply a 25% possibility of a. 50-basis-point cut from the Federal Reserve next month, down. from 55% a week back, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The totality of information informs us disinflation is continuing. and the Fed is almost certain to cut rates in September by. 25bps, stated David Chao, Invesco's worldwide market strategist for. Asia Pacific ex-Japan.

But I do believe that the July inflation report lessens. the opportunities of a super-size cut, though this was never in the. cards.

Japan's Nikkei was a notable outperformer in Asia,. leaping nearly 3%.

Chinese blue-chips ticked partially greater, while. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1.7%.

The Nikkei, which suffered heavy losses recently. intensified by the loosening up of yen-funded bring trades, was. poised for a weekly gain of about 8%, its best performance considering that. April 2020.

Friday's gains were in part assisted by a weaker yen which. last stood at 148.88 per dollar, suffering near a. two-week low of 149.40 hit in the previous session and some. distance far from recently's seven-month peak.

The Swiss franc, which also rose last week on. the back of a flight to safety, was bit altered at 0.8713 per. dollar and looked set to lose nearly 0.7% for the week.

In other currencies, the euro had a hard time to break. above the $1.10 level against a firmer dollar, which was buoyed. by elevated U.S. Treasury yields.

The two-year yield hovered near an over one-week. high and last stood at 4.0700%, while the benchmark 10-year. yield steadied at 3.8997%.

In products, oil prices edged lower on Friday, however. were set for a weekly gain as the upbeat U.S. financial information. eased investor worries about a possible economic crisis in the top. oil consuming country.

Brent unrefined futures dipped 0.22% to $80.86 per. barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures. eased 0.32% to $77.90 a barrel. Still, the two were eyeing a. weekly gain of more than 1% each.

Spot gold dipped 0.19% to $2,451.56 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)