Asian Stock Market: Exhibit mix response despite upbeat market mood, oil rebounds, PBOC buzz
- Asian equities are displaying a mixed performance due to individual factors.
- Chinese investors are having anxiety ahead of PBOC’s monetary policy.
- Oil prices have printed a fresh two-week low amid escalating recession fears.
Markets in the Asian domain are displaying a mixed response despite the strengthening of the risk-on mood in global markets. S&P500 futures have raised intermittent highs after two-consecutive bullish trading sessions. Rally in US markets is backed by a bumper start of the quarterly result season despite the headwinds of higher interest rates and soaring price pressures.
At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 gained 0.63% and Nifty50 added 0.48% while ChinaA50 tumbled more than 1% and Hang Seng dived 1.20%.
The US dollar index (DXY) has attempted a rebound move after sensing buying interest around the immediate cushion of 112.00. The rebound move seems less confident amid the absence of a risk-aversion theme. Further, investors are awaiting the release of the US Housing Starts data. The real estate catalyst could get impacted by soaring interest rates by the Federal Reserve (Fed).
Meanwhile, Chinese investors have shifted their focus toward the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) monetary policy, which will be announced on Thursday. The central bank could adopt a dovish tone as economic prospects are deteriorating. The continuation of the zero Covid-19 policy by the Chinese administration to contain the epidemic and weak property sector needs monetary easing to get back on the growth track.
On the oil front, oil prices have rebounded after printing a fresh two-week low at around $81.20. The rebound move could derail amid headwinds of the central bank's monetary policy tightening and escalating recession fears in the US. Rising US Treasury yields have bolstered the case of a recession situation in the coming months.