ASIA STOCKS: Asian Equities Higher Following Positive Tariff News
Asian equities are higher today as investors reacted positively to the prospect that reciprocal US tariffs may take weeks to materialize, raising hopes for negotiations that could soften their impact. The MSCI Asia Pacific rose for the third consecutive day, supported by Wall Street's rally, where the S&P 500 neared a record high. The South Korean won gained, while the yen fluctuated. Optimism around China’s artificial intelligence sector further fueled gains, with Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech stocks performing strongly. Meanwhile, US tsys yields fell overnight, helping risk sentiment, and the AUD hit a two-month high against the USD.
- Hong Kong’s HSI jumped 2.3%, continuing its recent rally driven by strong gains in Chinese technology stocks. Tencent, Xiaomi, and Meituan all surged over 4%, supported by renewed investor interest in the sector following DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough. Optimism around China’s broader AI capabilities and a wave of new AI model releases from firms such as Alibaba and Baidu further boosted sentiment. Mainland China equities are higher, however are again underperforming HK listed stocks, The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.25%, while the CSI 300 is trading 0.75% higher.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.65%, despite the broader rally in Asian equities. Selling pressure was evident as investors weighed Trump’s comments targeting Japan for potential reciprocal tariffs. Meanwhile, JX Advanced Metals Corp. set an indicative share price for its IPO, marking Japan’s largest such deal since 2018. The semiconductor sector was in focus, with sentiment dampened by questions over the benefits of TSMC’s reported partnership with Intel.
- South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.90%, benefiting from broader risk-on sentiment and a stronger won. Tech stocks were a key driver, mirroring gains in the Chinese sector. However, South Korea remains under scrutiny after being singled out by Trump for potential reciprocal tariffs, which could impact trade-sensitive industries.
- Taiwan's TAIEX has struggled today with the index down 1%, as TSMC dropped 2.30%.
- Australia's ASX 200 hit a fresh record, rising 0.30% and marking its third record high this week, with the index briefly trading above 8,600 before pulling back, with strong gains in utilities and mining offsetting losses in financials and healthcare. Origin Energy surged 2.8%, leading the utilities sector, while BHP, Fortescue, and Rio Tinto all advanced. However, Cochlear slumped 13% after issuing a cautious profit outlook, and AMP plunged 13.7% following a disappointing earnings report.
Want to read more?
Find more articles and bullets on these widgets:
Historical bullets
JPY: Yen Up With January Hike Odds As Ueda Speaks In Tokyo
USD/JPY is moving lower, the pair last near 157.50/55, close to session lows. We are up around 0.30% in yen terms, comfortably the best G10 performer in what has been a muted session ahead of the US CPI print later.
- USD/JPY's down move has been aided by remarks by BoJ Governor Ueda in Tokyo (per BBG/Rtrs). Ueda stating that a rate hike decision will be made next week at the policy meeting. The Governor noting US economic developments and wage trends will be key watch points. He added that the recent branch managers meeting expressed positive trends around wage trends. See this BBG link.
- The comments largely echoed those made by Deputy Governor Himino yesterday, but no push back from Ueda on rate hike has likely encouraged markets to believe next week's meeting is a live one. Current OIS pricing indicates: a 69% probability of a 25bp hike in January; a cumulative 86% chance by May; and a full 25bp increase not fully priced in until May 2025. The Jan meeting odds have risen since Himino spoke yesterday.
- For USD/JPY levels, lows earlier this week were at 156.92, while the 20-day EMA is around 156.71.
JGBS: Cash Bonds Cheaper, BoJ Ueda Adds To Weight To Hike Discussions
After a choppy Tokyo session, JGB futures are little changed, +1 compared to settlement levels.
- Japan likely to miss primary budget surplus target for FY2025, sources say "Japan is likely to miss achieving its goal of running a primary budget surplus by the next fiscal year, according to three sources with knowledge of fresh fiscal estimates, as the minority government faces increasing pressure for more spending.” RTRS
- Cash JGBs are flat to 2bps cheaper across benchmarks. The benchmark 10-year yield is 0.4bp higher at 1.250% after making a fresh cycle high of 1.253% today.
- The swaps curve has bear-steepened, with rates flat to 4bps higher.
- “BOJ Governor Ueda: Will raise rates and adjust the degree of monetary support if improvement in economy and price conditions continues” - RTRS
- BOJ-dated OIS pricing has shifted notably since BOJ Deputy Governor Himino's speech yesterday. The speech was interpreted as another indication that the policy board is leaning toward a 25bp rate hike at its upcoming meeting on January 23–24.
- Current OIS pricing indicates: a 69% probability of a 25bp hike in January; a cumulative 86% chance by May; and a full 25bp increase not fully priced in until May 2025.
- Tomorrow, the local calendar will see PPI data alongside 20-year supply.
ASIA STOCKS: Asian Equities Mixed, Ahead Of US CPI Tonight
Asian markets traded mixed as investors awaited key US inflation data for clues on Federal Reserve policy. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was little changed, with modest gains in Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, while Chinese equities were mixed. The PBOC injected significant short-term liquidity to ease a cash squeeze ahead of the Lunar New Year, highlighting its easing stance. Indian stocks extended gains, driven by energy and utility sectors, while foreign outflows from Indian equities continued in January. South Korea's unemployment rose to its highest level since mid-2021 amid political uncertainty. Meanwhile, oil prices steadied after recent declines, and the dollar consolidated after the previous session's losses. Overall, sentiment remained cautious ahead of the U.S. CPI report, which could shape global monetary policy expectations.
