- 'Dark day': Victims mourned around the globe on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Oil extends gains, jobs report lifts Wall Street
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
- Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally
- 'A man provides': Ukrainian miners send families away as Russia advances
- EU states greenlight extra tariffs on EVs from China
- Hong Kong stocks resume rally, oil dips after Middle East-fuelled surge
- Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains
- Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test
- US dockworkers to head back to work after tentative deal
- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
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Asian markets mixed as caution over rate outlook dulls sentiment
Asian markets were mixed Friday as caution permeated trading floors and investors tried to gauge the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy after several officials tried to temper optimism over signs that inflation is slowing.
While the week has been broadly positive for equities following softer-than-expected US consumer and wholesale price figures, a strong reading on retail sales and jobless claims showed plenty of resilience to higher interest rates.
With that in mind, St Louis Fed President James Bullard warned more hikes were needed to bring inflation down from four-decade highs, adding that they might need to go as high as seven percent.
That was followed by Minneapolis Fed boss Neel Kaskari saying he had not witnessed much evidence that underlying demand was cooling and did not want to forecast when the tightening would end.
The comments came after a similar message from other policymakers, who have sought to calm markets, which soared in the wake of last Thursday's consumer prices reading.
They also fuelled fears among traders that the sharp tightening campaign -- including four straight bumper 0.75-point increases in a row -- would tip the world's top economy into recession.
On Wednesday, Kansas City Fed chief Esther George said it was unclear how the bank can douse inflation "without having some real slowing" or even a contraction.
Wall Street's three main indexes ended in the red, and Asia struggled to hold on to the morning's momentum.
Hong Kong turned negative after a strong start, even as tech firms rallied and after China indicated it would ease back on some of its strict Covid restrictions and help its troubled property sector.
Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Mumbai were also down, though Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta edged up.
- 'Fundamental disconnect' -
There was a fear among analysts that the recent rally may have run a little ahead of itself.
"The market believes that inflation is on the downtrend. We also believe that, but the fact of inflation having peaked is not a reason for the Fed to turn and cut rates," Paul Christopher, at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, told Bloomberg Radio.
"That's the fundamental disconnect that still exists between the Fed and the market."
And SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes added: "Things can turn on a dime, primarily when the fear of missing (out) drives sentiment.
"However, the odds of a pre-Thanksgiving rally are giving way to the hawkish Fed drumbeat and pushback on China reopening plays."
The pound clawed back some of the losses suffered Thursday after Britain unveiled a budget with 55 billion pounds ($65 billion) of tax hikes and spending cuts that traders fear will deepen a cost-of-living crisis and a recession that could last two years.
- Key figures around 0720 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 27,899.77 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 17,997.79
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.6 percent at 3,097.24 (close)
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.1909 from $1.1867 on Thursday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0373 from $1.0370
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 139.83 yen from 140.20 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.13 from 87.34 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $82.11 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.4 percent at $90.09 per barrel
New York - Dow: FLAT at 33,546.32 points (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,346.54 (close)
D.Avraham--CPN