
Chinese yuan closed at the highest
level since 2005
The Chinese yuan gained 0.11 percent,
to close at 7.6047, its highest close since 2005, on speculation that
China is letting the yuan
appreciating to gain more control over price pressures. Along with a widening
trade surplus and rising investment from overseas, which boost currency inflows,
money supply is escalating almost twice as fast as the overall economy. The PBOC
needs to take stronger action to drain liquidity from the system and the Chinese
monetary authorities should welcome more yuan appreciation in the weeks ahead.
In fact, one year yuan non-deliverable-forwards traded at 7.2539 to the dollar,
anticipating the yuan could be almost 5 percent stronger in one year's time.
However, China may suffer from exchange rate
losses when products exported to other nations start bearing more expensive
price labels. The
Chinese yuan has appreciated 8.8 percent since dropping its fixed exchange rate
with the United
States in July 2005.
Mainland China equities
ease as investigators uncover regulations breach
Today, the
benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up 15 points or 0.41 percent at
3’836.29. However, the Hang Seng Index shed 0.8 percent reaching the bell
at 21772.73. Citing an
overvaluation of Chinese banking shares, the sector laggards of ICBC and China
Merchants Bank dragged the index down 0.9 and 0.2 percent respectively.
China’s auditors released a
finding involving regulation irregularities in three of China’s seven
largest banking intuitions mounting to 15.6 billion yuan. Lending some support to the easing
shares was Hong Kong Exchanges $ Clearing Ltd. The market operator was buoyed by
a Citigroup upgrade in price target for the stock by 26 percent, sending the
exchange’s shares to an all-time high of HK$110.50 (+1.5
percent).
Straits Times Index gains as
Singapore home prices reach a 10-year
high
The
Singapore benchmark equity index
climbed 0.1 percent to close at 3552.33 on speculation of strong earnings on the
banking sector. United Overseas was
the biggest winner of the session as the nation’s second largest bank lent 0.9
percent to the equity complex closing at S$22.20. Singapore’s private home prices
gained 7.9 percent in the three months to June 30th, the highest in
ten years. The domestic economy