Talking Points:
- It was another mixed session for Asian stocks which largely mirrored Wall Street’s fortunes
- Australian house prices leaped higher, according to official data, as the country’s central bank was revealed to be more worried about froth in this market
- The US Dollar slipped as investors doubt another rate hike will come hard on the heels of this month’s
Asian stocks were mixed again on Tuesday, as were their Wall Street counterparts in the session before, with a softer US Dollar weighing on possible progress.
The greenback was held back by Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans. He said on Monday that the Fed was in no rush to raise interest rates again, and may wait until at least June before deciding on another hike.
The Nikkei slipped as Japanese markets returned to full strength after Monday’s holiday, ending down 0.3% as that weaker US Dollar hit exporters. However, Seoul’s Kospi added 1.06% to hit an intra-day high for the year. Investors appear pleased that the long process of Presidential impeachment in the country has at least ended, although former President Park Geun-hye saw prosecutors on Tuesday for further questioning.
Australia’s ASX slipped 0.1%, dragged down by a weaker raw materials sub-index. The minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s March policy meeting again highlighted risks from a frothy housing market. They were released at the same time as an official survey which showed house prices stormed upward in the final quarter of 2016. Chinese stocks managed very modest gains.
The US Dollar was broadly lower through the Asian session, with Mr. Evans’ comments getting much of the blame.
Crude oil prices slipped again as investors again worried about persistent supply overhang even in the face of production cuts. Gold prices edged down too, but nevertheless held near two-week highs. The prospect of Fed hikes delayed won’t trouble gold bulls.
Coming up on the global data schedule we have UK inflation numbers, Canadian retail sales and the US trade balance. There are three Federal Reserve speakers on tap too: New York Fed President Bill Dudley, Kansas City Fed chief Esther George and Cleveland’s Loretta Mester.
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--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research
Contact and follow David on Twitter: @DavidCottleFX
