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Asian markets hit as US jobs data dent hopes for big rate cut


Published : 09 Jul 2019 08:58 PM | Updated : 04 Sep 2020 03:30 PM

Asian markets retreated Monday and the dollar held gains after a blockbuster US jobs report dashed hopes that the Federal Reserve would slash interest rates this month. Labor Department data showed that despite recent disappointing indicators, the world’s top economy continues to show resilience as it created far more posts than expected in June, agency reports. The news took traders by surprise and sent all three main indexes on Wall Street falling from record highs, while the dollar bounced against its main peers. Investors had been hoping the Fed would cut borrowing costs by as much as 50 basis points at its next policy meeting at the end of the month, but Friday’s report reduced the chances of that happening. And Asian investors extended the selling, with Shanghai losing more than two percent, Hong Kong down 1.5 percent and Tokyo off one percent. Sydney, Singapore and Mumbai sank more than one percent. Manila, Wellington, Taipei, Bangkok and Jakarta were also lower. Seoul sank 2.2 percent, hit by a simmering trade row between South Korea and Japan. Tokyo last week imposed restrictions on exports used by South Korea’s tech companies in a dispute over court rulings linked to Japan’s wartime forced labour policy. Samsung fell 2.8 percent and LG Display sank almost five percent. – Lira tumbles – “Markets remain convinced the Fed will cut rates at the end of the month,” said OANDA senior market analyst Edward Moya. “But the strong labour market has many questioning whether we will see just two rate cuts in 2019 and not what some call the required three to see US stocks make another 3-5 percent push higher into uncharted territory.” He added that the focus will now turn to Fed boss Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony this week, with investors hoping he will provide some forward guidance on the bank’s plans. “The testimony this week will be crucial around how they are seeing the evolution of the US economy,” Anne Anderson, at UBS Asset Management, told

Bloomberg TV. Also up this week is the release of minutes from the Fed’s June meeting, while US and Chinese officials are working to schedule top-level trade talks. On currency markets, the dollar maintained Friday’s gains against the yen, pound and euro. And it surged more than three percent on the Turkish lira after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sacked the head of the country’s central bank following months of tensions over high borrowing costs. Erdogan, who is battling to boost the struggling economy, has repeatedly railed against high interest rates and called for them to be lowered to stimulate growth. The removal of Murat Cetinkaya at the weekend fuelled speculation the bank will slash borrowing costs. Win Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, wrote in a note: “Deputy governor Murat Uysal was named as the replacement, though we all know who really controls monetary policy now.” European markets rebounded from opening losses. London rose 0.2 percent, while Frankfurt and Paris were each 0.1 percent higher.

– Key figures around 0810 GMT –

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 21,534.35 (close)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng: DOWN 1.5 percent at 28,331.69 (close)

Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 2.6 percent at 2,933.36 (close)

London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 7,565.65

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1226 from $1.1227 at 2030 GMT Friday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 108.40 yen from 108.50 yen

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2520 from $1.2525

West Texas Intermediate: UP 20 cents at $57.71 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: UP 21 cents at $64.44 per barrel

New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 26,922.12 (close)