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Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
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Nikkei rises another 2.3%, reversing earlier losses
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Dollar up 1.9% on yen after BOJ turned cautious on hikes
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Nasdaq futures 1% higher, European futures up strongly
(Updates prices, adds China trade data)
By Wayne Cole and Stella Qiu
SYDNEY, Aug 7(Reuters) - Asian share markets extended
their rally on Wednesday, led by another bounce in the Nikkei,
as the Bank of Japan unexpectedly turned cautious on rate hikes
amidst market volatility, which led to a sharp fall in the yen.
The Nikkei's 2.3% rise followed Tuesday's 10% rally,
suggesting investors were finding their footing after the recent
market rout. The index slumped 13% on Monday.
Sentiment had looked a little shaky early in Asia, but Bank
of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said in a speech
to business leaders the central bank won't raise interest rates
when financial markets are unstable, boosting risk sentiment.
The dollar jumped 1.9% to 147.03 yen and away from
the 141.675 trough hit on Monday, though it remains far below
its July peak of 161.96.
Hamilton Reiner, head of U.S. Derivatives at JPMorgan Asset
Management, believes Japanese stocks would recover from Monday's
13% slump given the corporate reforms being undertaken by
companies represented in the Nikkei.
"When you have an environment, the environment of macro and
micro doesn't really change much, and you see this price action,
it's really about an opportunity than fear."
Analysts at JPMorgan said the sell-off in Japanese stocks
may almost be over, while there is also a view emerging that the
unwinding of yen carry trades may be nearing completion.
The unravelling of the yen carry trade - where investors
borrow yen at low rates to buy higher yielding assets - was a
driving force in the market rout, but again seemed to be
stabilising.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
jumped 1.4%. South Korean stocks added
2.5% while Taiwan surged 3.4%.
China's blue chip index rose 0.2% while Hong
Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1%, after data showed that
Chinese imports in July rose 7.2% from a year earlier, beating
forecasts, in a positive sign for domestic demand, although
growth in exports slowed.
After Wall Street bounced overnight, Nasdaq futures
surged 1% despite a 12% dive in AI darling Super Micro Computer ( SMCI )
after it missed earnings estimates.
S&P 500 futures were also up 0.8% while EUROSTOXX 50
futures firmed 1.2%.
With safe-haven in less demand, Treasury yields ticked
higher for a second session. U.S. 10-year yields
were up at 3.9127%, and well off Monday's low of 3.667%.
Two-year yields climbed back to 4.0183%, from a deep
trough of 3.654%, as markets scaled back wagers on an
intra-meeting emergency rate cut from the Federal Reserve.
Futures now imply 105 basis points of easing this year,
compared with 125 basis points at one stage during Monday's
turmoil, while a 50-basis-point cut in September was seen as a
73% chance.
Fears of an imminent U.S. recession had also faded a little
as the run of economic data still pointed to solid economic
growth in the current quarter.
The Atlanta Fed's much-watched GDPNow estimate is that gross
domestic product is running at an annual pace of 2.9%.
In commodity markets, gold prices slipped 0.2% at $2,383.77
an ounce and short of last week's $2,477 top.
Oil prices remained volatile as concerns about waning global
demand warred with the risk of supply disruptions in the Middle
East.
Brent rose 0.1% to $76.57 per barrel, while U.S.
crude was also up 0.1% to $73.29 a barrel.