Hong Kong (AFP) – Tech firms led gains across Asian equities Thursday following a positive lead from Wall Street, where traders also welcomed strong US data that suggested the world’s top economy remained in rude health. The advances came even as the figures tempered expectations for more interest rate cuts and minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting showed policymakers growing concerned about inflation.
Oil prices stabilized after surging more than four percent Wednesday on fresh US-Iran concerns. Seoul’s Kospi led gains, jumping more than two percent to a record high as it reopened after the Lunar New Year break, with chip giants Samsung and SK Hynix once again the standout performers. Tokyo was also well up as tech firms performed well, while Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Manila, and Jakarta also advanced. Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei were still closed for the Chinese holiday.
Asian stocks are enjoying a strong start to the year as investors turn to the region’s relatively cheaper tech plays after Wall Street’s AI-fueled surge over the past two years. That has seen the Magnificent Seven market titans, including Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft, struggle since the start of January, with questions being raised about the wisdom of the vast sums splashed on artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, a slew of strong US figures this week — combined with a forecast-beating jobs report last week — suggested the Fed might not need to cut rates any time soon. That was compounded by the bank’s January minutes that saw several officials were open to hiking borrowing costs owing to stubbornly high inflation. “Industrial production posted its strongest gain in nearly a year. Durable goods surprised to the upside. Housing starts printed a five-month high. This is a reflationary dataset,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. “It is an economy that keeps absorbing higher rates like a shock absorber on a heavy freight train, compressing under pressure and then rolling forward with the same relentless momentum.”
The Fed minutes poured cold water on any lingering fantasies of imminent cuts. Futures traders still saw two reductions this year but were now paring their bets on any being made at all, according to Bloomberg. Oil prices were flat after Wednesday’s surge that came after White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt warned Iran would be “wise” to do a deal with the United States as Donald Trump once again hinted at military action.
The US president again hinted at a strike on Tehran on his Truth Social site, with a US military buildup underway in the Middle East. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said there was a “step forward” in talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva but warned, “we don’t have much time.” Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said that while talks were ongoing, it was ultimately up to Trump to decide whether to use force. “That tacit threat, with a heavy US military presence in the region, appears to be keeping tensions in oil markets raised. We may hear little now for a week or two, while Iran formulates its proposals,” said National Australia Bank’s Gavin Friend.
– Key figures at around 0230 GMT –
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 57,598.83 (break)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: Closed for holiday
Shanghai – Composite: Closed for holiday
Dollar/yen: UP at 154.93 yen from 154.80 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1792 from $1.1784
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3493 from $1.3500
Euro/pound: UP at 87.39 pence from 87.29 pence
West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $65.18 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: FLAT at $70.32 per barrel
New York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 49,662.66 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 1.2 percent at 10,686.18 (close)
© 2024 AFP
