Latest News

Asian stocks combined, gold hits peak as Fed focus heightens

Asian equities had a hard time for instructions on Friday as financiers looked for clues on the timing of Federal Reserve rate of interest cuts amid a dirty U.S. inflation outlook, although the blended geopolitical and policy potential customers assisted gold struck a fresh peak.

The yellow metal surged, supported by safehaven need amid continuous tensions in the Middle East and after a mild reading for producer price inflation kept alive wish for Fed reducing this year.

On the other hand, U.S. Treasury yields stuck near five-month highs in the wake of hotter-than-expected consumer rate data mid-week that forced a paring of rate cut bets.

The dollar hung near a five-month high following a more than 1% gain this week versus a basket of major peers.

Crude oil continued to trade north of the $90 mark.

Markets now expect less than two quarter point reductions to the Fed funds rate this year, below the 3 cuts Fed officials had booked last month, following Wednesday's CPI shock.

Fed authorities stated on Thursday there was no urgency to relieve, with Boston Fed President Susan Collins saying the strength of the economy and uneven retreat in inflation refuted a. near-term push to lower rates.

Nevertheless, IG expert Tony Sycamore stays bullish on the. outlook for equities.

Putting the pieces together at the end of a busy week, if. U.S. financial growth remains resilient, inflation remains. contained, and the sell-off in the bond market does not. speed up, the backdrop for U.S. equity markets remains. supportive even without Fed rate cuts, he stated.

Japan was the only real bright area around the Asia Pacific. on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 up 0.23%.

Tech shares led the way, drawing motivation from a rally in. U.S. peers overnight. Gains for the index would have been larger. but for the steep slide in shares of greatly weighted Fast. Retailing, owner of the Uniqlo chain, following. frustrating incomes.

Somewhere else, markets mostly suffered losses. South Korea's. KOSPI moved 0.9% and Singapore's Straits Times Index. was off 0.26%. Reserve banks in both countries decided to. keep policy the same on Friday.

The worst losses were in Hong Kong, with the Hang Seng. moving 1.65% as residential or commercial property shares weighed. Mainland. China's blue chips were 0.2% lower.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. slipped 0.67%, cutting its gains for the week to. just 0.18%.

Pan-European STOXX 50 futures pointed 0.7% greater.

U.S. stocks futures were flat, following a 0.7% rise for the. S&P 500 and 1.7% rise for the tech-focused Nasdaq on. Thursday.

The U.S. earnings season starts later in the day with big. banks consisting of JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. Mega tech. reports from next week.

Ultimately, I think financiers are yearning for strong. U.S. earnings, said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst. at Capital.com.

With rate cuts being evaluated, it's the only element that. can provide essential validation for purchasing stocks at these. levels.

Long-term U.S. Treasury yields stood at 4.5665%. in Asian trading, remaining close to the over night high of. 4.5930%, a level last seen on Nov. 14.

The climb in yields supported the dollar as it pushed to a. 34-year high of 153.32 yen on Thursday. It last. altered hands at 153.13 yen, remaining weak regardless of fresh. intervention cautions from Japan's finance minister.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against. the yen, euro and four other peers, traded at 105.38, after. reaching the highest since Nov. 14 at 105.53 overnight. It has. jumped 1.06% today.

The euro bought $1.07125 after dipping to a nearly. two-month trough at $1.0699 on Thursday, when the European. Reserve bank indicated that rate cuts may come quickly.

Gold climbed to a record $2,395.29, with gains this. week of 2.6%.

Petroleum prices rose after Iran promised to strike back for a. believed Israeli airstrike on its embassy in Syria.

Brent unrefined futures added 56 cents, or 0.62%, to. $ 90.30 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude. futures got 67 cents, or 0.79%, to $85.69.

(source: Reuters)