Asian shares higher as US dollar retreats

Asian shares have tracked Wall Street higher amid hopes that China’s economy would pick up pace as COVID-19 curbs ease, although caution ahead of a week full of risk events, including the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, could cap sentiment.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.9 per cent in early trade on Friday, edging closer to a three-month high hit earlier in the week. For the week, it was also set to rise 0.9 per cent.

Japan’s Nikkei surged 1.1 per cent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advanced 1.2 per cent, with mainland developers up a whopping four per cent. Chinese blue chips, however, saw more subdued gains.

China’s Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday that China’s shift in COVID policy would allow the country’s economy to pick up pace, a day after a top-level party meeting pledged to focus on stabilising growth while optimising the pandemic measures.

Apart from China optimism, investors are focused on US producer price inflation figures later in the day for more signs about the health of the US economy, after data overnight showed some loosening in the labour market, with weekly jobless claims rising moderately.

US stocks snapped their recent losing streak to rebound. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.55 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 0.75 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.13 per cent.

US monthly consumer inflation data is due next week, with economists forecasting inflation likely slowed slightly to 8.0 per cent in November from a year earlier, compared with 8.2 per cent in October.

Futures have priced in a near-certain possibility that the Fed will slow down its rate hike to 50 basis points next week, but the target US rate would have to peak about 4.9 per cent by next May.

The Fed, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England are set to announce interest rate decisions next week as policymakers continue to tap the brakes on economic growth through firmer rates to thwart stubbornly high inflation.

The US dollar slid 0.2 per cent against a basket of major currencies on Friday, on top of a drop of 0.4 per cent overnight. The safe-haven greenback was set to finish the week flat.

Treasury yields rose overnight and remained largely steady after falling to the lowest in three years earlier in the week on expectations of slower growth or that a recession will curb the rise in rates.

The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes held at 3.4819 per cent, compared with its US close of 3.493 per cent. The two-year yield touched 4.3139 per cent, up slightly from its US close of 4.312 per cent.

Oil prices rose after tumbling the day before amid fears a slowdown in the global economy.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures surged 0.9 per cent to $US72.11 per barrel, while Brent crude settled at $US76.15 a barrel, one per cent higher.

Gold was slightly lower. Spot gold traded at $US1,788.99 per ounce.