Latest Trending
Last Updated, Mar 10, 2023, 1:51 AM
Asia Stocks Drop as US Bank Rout Damps Risk Taking: Markets Wrap
Share This


Asian shares slumped Friday following a sharp decline on Wall Street amid concern that pockets of trouble in the US banking sector could portend broader dangers.

Article content

(Bloomberg) — Asian shares slumped Friday following a sharp decline on Wall Street amid concern that pockets of trouble in the US banking sector could portend broader dangers. 

Advertisement 2

Article content

An Asian equity gauge slid more than 1%, dragged down by finance stocks after banks came under fire in the US following the collapse of Silvergate Capital Corp. MSCI China Index also fell and erased all of its gains for this year.

Article content

Silicon Valley-based lender SVB Financial Group was at the center of the storm Thursday, losing 60% after taking steps to shore up its capital position, stoking concern that soaring interest rates are eroding balance sheets.

Read more: Read more: Wall Street’s Favorite Trade Is Hammered in Bank Stock Meltdown

The yen rebounded after slipping during early trading on Friday. The currency gained the most in a month on Thursday on the back of the deteriorating risk sentiment and in the lead up to Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s final policy announcement.

Article content

Advertisement 3

Article content

The central bank is leaning toward monitoring the impact of recent tweaks to its stimulus program rather than making another adjustment, according to people familiar with the matter. 

“We expect continued policy normalization and it is likely to come under the new Governor Ueda. The exact timing of the policy change will be difficult to predict and could be as early as the second quarter,” said Jennifer Kwan, senior investment specialist for global fixed income, currency and commodities at JPMorgan Asset Management. “We are staying underweight in Japanese bonds, in view of the potential higher yields in JGBs later this year.” 

Treasury yields extended their declines after the rout in stocks spurred demand for haven assets. Australian and New Zealand government bonds rallied.    

Advertisement 4

Article content

US stocks had gained early in the session Thursday after data showed weekly jobless claims had risen to 211,000 during the week ending March 4, ahead of expectations for 195,000 and marking the first time claims surpassed 200,000 since early January. 

The numbers set the stage for Friday’s monthly jobs report, with even just slightly stronger-than-forecast figures expected to cement bets for a bigger hike at the March 21-22 Fed meeting. Economists project a 225,000 increase in February payrolls, about half January’s blockbuster pace, but a figure in that range would confirm the US economy continues to add jobs at a strong rate. 

A softer-than expected number could soften wagers on a half-point move in March, and tilt expectations back to a quarter-point hike. 

Advertisement 5

Article content

Cryptocurrencies dropped after pulling up slightly early on Friday. Bitcoin on Thursday fell 8.1%, the most since November, amid Silvergate’s meltdown.

In commodities, oil headed for the biggest weekly loss since early February as the prospects of higher interest rates weighed on energy demand outlook. 

Key events this week:

  • Bank of Japan policy rate decision, Friday
  • US nonfarm payrolls, unemployment rate, monthly budget statement, Friday

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

  • S&P 500 futures fell 0.4% as of 10:32 a.m. Tokyo time. The S&P 500 fell 1.8%
  • Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.3%. The Nasdaq 100 fell 1.8%
  • Japan’s Topix index fell 1.1%
  • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.9%
  • China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.6%
  • Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 1.8%

Advertisement 6

Article content

Currencies

  • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
  • The euro rose 0.1% to $1.0594
  • The Japanese yen rose 0.1% to 135.96 per dollar
  • The offshore yuan was little changed at 6.9751 per dollar
  • The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.6585

Cryptocurrencies

  • Bitcoin fell 0.9% to $20,043.5
  • Ether fell 0.4% to $1,426.55

Bonds

  • The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined three basis points to 3.87%
  • Japan’s 10-year yield fell half a basis point to 0.495%
  • Australia’s 10-year yield declined eight basis points to 3.63%

Commodities

  • West Texas Intermediate crude was little changed
  • Spot gold was little changed

This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

—With assistance from Isabelle Lee, Peyton Forte and Vildana Hajric.

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Join the Conversation

24World Media does not take any responsibility of the information you see on this page. The content this page contains is from independent third-party content provider. If you have any concerns regarding the content, please free to write us here: contact@24worldmedia.com

Latest Post

4 Advantages of Owning Your Own Dump Truck

Last Updated,Oct 4, 2024

5 Characteristics of Truth and Consequences in NM

Last Updated,Sep 30, 2024

How To Make Your Wedding More Accessible

Last Updated,Sep 11, 2024

Ensure Large-Format Printing Success With These Tips

Last Updated,Sep 11, 2024

4 Reasons To Consider an Artificial Lawn

Last Updated,Sep 11, 2024

The Importance of Industrial Bearings in Manufacturing

Last Updated,Sep 11, 2024

5 Tips for Getting Your First Product Out the Door

Last Updated,Sep 11, 2024

Most Popular Metal Alloys for Industrial Applications

Last Updated,Sep 6, 2024

5 Errors To Avoid in Your Pharmaceutical Clinical Trial

Last Updated,Aug 20, 2024

Ways You Can Make Your Mining Operation Cleaner

Last Updated,Aug 12, 2024

Tips for Starting a New Part of Your Life

Last Updated,Jul 16, 2024

Easy Ways To Beautify Your Home’s Exterior

Last Updated,Jun 18, 2024