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Asian stocks poised for weekly gain as recession fears dwindle

Asian shares were headed for a weekly gain on Friday and Japan's benchmark Nikkei was poised for its finest week in more than four years as positive risk belief overflowed from Wall Street, while the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields held broadly constant.

Last week's market chaos relaxed today after a raft of U.S. economic information allayed recession fears on the planet's. largest economy and pressed back expectations for aggressive U.S. rate cuts.

Our assessment is that the marketplace fallout from the weak. early August U.S. information was disproportionate, stated Jonas. Goltermann, deputy chief markets economic expert at Capital Economics.

In big part, it showed the quick relaxing of crowded. positions in some markets, he included.

While the risk of an economic downturn in the United States has. increased a little, there are few indications of a more significant. crisis brewing.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. sophisticated 1.3% 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 increased 0.13%, while Nasdaq futures. included 0.2%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures got 0.17%,. though FTSE futures dipped 0.06%.

Strong U.S. retail sales data and low weekly jobless claims. were the current shot in the arm for the positive risk mood,. following this week's benign inflation report that re-affirmed. bets for imminent Fed rate cuts, however likely at a determined pace.

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

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

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

Japan's Nikkei leapt nearly 3%, outperforming other. Asian standards as Chinese blue-chips ticked. marginally higher, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose. 2.1%.

The Nikkei was poised for a weekly gain of about 8%, its. best performance since April 2020, following last week's heavy. losses intensified by the relaxing of yen-funded trades.

Friday's gains were partly assisted by a weaker yen which last. stood at 148.90 per dollar, languishing 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 likewise rose recently on. the back of a flight to security, was last at 0.8712 to the dollar. and looked set to lose more than 0.6% for the week.

In other currencies, the euro struggled to break. above the level of $1.10 against a firmer dollar, which was. buoyed by raised U.S. Treasury yields.

The two-year yield hovered near its highest in. more than a week, to last stand at 4.0749%, while the benchmark. 10-year yield steadied at 3.9035%.

In products, oil rates edged lower on Friday, though set. for a weekly gain, as the upbeat U.S. information relieved financier. worries about a prospective economic crisis on the planet's leading oil. consumer.

Brent unrefined futures dipped 0.35% to $80.76 per. barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures. alleviated 0.5% to $77.78 a barrel. Still, the two were considering a. weekly gain of more than 1% each.

Spot gold dipped 0.13% to $2,452.77 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)