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Tech takes down Asia stocks, dollar gains on inflation information

Asian stocks plunged on Friday, tracking techled declines on Wall Street overnight after hotterthanforecast U.S. inflation knocked back bets for how soon and frequently the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.

U.S. benchmark bond yields held near the 4.3% level they reached on Thursday for the very first time this month, following their greatest dive in three months. The dollar advanced to its greatest since March 5 versus a basket of significant peers.

Crude oil slipped back after its over night surge above $85. for the very first time since November, and stayed on track for a. rally of almost 4% this week.

Bitcoin edged back towards the all-time high reached. on Thursday.

A bigger-than-expected increase in producer costs in U.S. information. overnight contributed to a heated reading on consumer inflation. previously in the week to see futures markets cutting the odds of a. June policy alleviating to 60%, from about 67% late on Wednesday,. according to LSEG's rate probability app. For 2024, the market. is now pricing in less than three rate cuts, down from three to. four roughly two weeks back.

The most significant reaction remained in the U.S. Treasury bond market,. with an appear yields pulling the dollar along too.

The 10-year Treasury yield last stood around. 4.28% on Friday, holding on to most of its more than 10 basis. point jump from the previous session.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against. the euro, yen and four other peers, added 0.07% to 103.45,. following a 0.58% rally on Thursday, its best day in more than a. month.

At the margins, price pressures are looking more stubborn,. with the process of disinflation taking longer than hoped, said. Kyle Rodda, senior markets analyst at Capital.com.

The direct influence on equities was muted, however the jump in. long-lasting yields is raising the spectre of a potential air. pocket ahead for the tech-driven rally, he stated.

U.S. stock futures pointed partially lower. following a 0.29% decline in the S&P 500 on Thursday. The impact of a big sell off in chip-sector shares. reverberated in Asian markets, weighing on stock indexes. around the area.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid more than 1%, as did South. Korea's Kospi.

Mainland Chinese blue chips, however, were bit. changed, despite the reserve bank's choice to forgo any reducing. in keeping the medium-term loaning facility rate unchanged on. Friday.

Japan's Nikkei relieved 0.3%.

Signs continue to build for an exit from ultra-easy stimulus. at the Bank of Japan's two-day policy conference ending on Tuesday. of next week.

The government appeared to back a policy shift, with Financing. Minister Shunichi Suzuki mentioning on Friday that the economy is. no longer in deflation, regardless of stating previously in the week that. it was prematurely to declare an end to the nation's drawn-out. spiral of falling costs.

Jiji news agency reported on Thursday that the BOJ has. started to make plans to end its negative interest rate. policy at the event. Sources have informed that the. If the, central bank will dispute the end of negative rates. preliminary survey on big companies' wage talks, due on Friday,. yields strong outcomes.

Japan's 10-year bond yield rose to 0.795% for. the very first time in more than three months.

Any yen strength was overpowered by the resurgent dollar,. which got 0.11% to 148.48 yen, continuing its. rebound from a drop as low as 146.48 a week ago.

The euro extended Thursday's decline and reached a. low of $1.08765, its lowest level in a week. Last Friday, it. climbed as high as $1.0980, a two-month high.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin included 1.4% to $71,650,. climbing up back toward the record high of $73,192.79 from the. previous session.

Software application company MicroStrategy announced strategies this. week to raise capital through convertible bonds, providing to purchase. bitcoin for the second time in less than 10 days.

In other places, oil rates succumbed to some revenue handling. Friday, following strong gains today amid sharp decreases in. U.S. crude and fuel stocks, drone strikes on Russian. refineries and a rise in energy demand projections.

Brent petroleum futures for May fell 41 cents, or. 0.5%, to $85.01 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI). crude for April fell 32 cents, or 0.4%, to $80.94.

(source: Reuters)