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Asia-Pacific markets are set for a mixed open Tuesday as investors closely watch for China's loan prime rate decision, after its central bank cut some of its key lending rates last week. Markets are widely expecting cuts to its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates, with economists polled by Reuters expecting a 10-basis point cut and a 15-basis point cut, respectively. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is expected to start the day largely unchanged, with futures at 19,913 compared to the HSI's close of 19,912.89. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 were at 7,281, lower than the index's last close of 7,294.9, after the index closed in the green on Monday, the only one to do so among major Asian benchmarks. The Reserve Bank of Australia will release minutes for its June meeting.

Organizations: Reuters, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: Asia, Pacific, Australia

The MSCI's broad gauge of world stocks ticked 0.2% higher, (.MIWD00000PUS), with Wall Street markets closed for the Juneteenth holiday. After a week in which the stock market cheered the Fed's decision to skip a rate increase in June, Powell is scheduled to deliver congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday. Billions of dollars have flowed into big tech in recent weeks, with analysts citing the productivity-improving potential of artificial intelligence for the rally. "The obvious narrative of AI has dominated this rally in tech stocks," said Dan Cartridge, portfolio manager at Hawksmoor. The 10-year British gilt yield stood at 4.462%, in an inverted yield curve pattern that can precede recessions.

Persons: BoE, Jerome Powell, Powell, Hawksmoor, Hong, HSI, Goldman Sachs, Brent, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle, Emma Rumney Organizations: Nikkei, Global, . Federal, Wall, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, People's Bank of, Friday's dovish Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Europe, U.S, Asia, Beijing, People's Bank of China

The MSCI's broad gauge of world stocks was steady (.MIWD00000PUS), with Wall Street markets closed for the Juneteenth holiday. After a week in which the stock market cheered the Fed's decision to skip a rate increase in June, Powell is scheduled to deliver congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday. "The obvious narrative of AI has dominated this rally in tech stocks," said Dan Cartridge, portfolio manager at Hawksmoor. "But a lot of it is also to do with interest rate expectations," he added, warning that the Fed staying hawkish would mean "we quite quickly see valuation compression again." Two-year British government bond yields , which reflect rate expectations, added 6 basis points (bps) to around 4.94% - near last week's 15-year high.

Persons: 25bps, Jerome Powell, Powell, Hawksmoor, Hong, HSI, Goldman Sachs, Brent, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Christopher Cushing, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: of England, Nikkei, Global, . Federal, Wall, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, People's Bank of, Friday's dovish Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Europe, U.S, Asia, Beijing, People's Bank of China

☆ Asian stocks pause rally, eyeing China stimulus, Powell testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were mostly flat after Wall Street's bullish run met resistance on Friday. Cash U.S. Treasuries were untraded due to the Juneteenth holiday, while futures were largely steady. The People's Bank of China is widely expected to cut its benchmark loan prime interest rates on Tuesday, following a similar reduction in medium-term policy loans last week. Several major banks last week cut their growth forecasts for China after the recent disappointing data. U.S. crude futures fell 1.0% to 71.03 per barrel, and Brent crude was down 1.3% at $75.63 per barrel.

Persons: BOE, Jerome Powell's, bullish, HSI, Morgan Stanley, Robin Xing, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, POWELL, Powell, Ray Attrill, Brent, Stella Qiu, Christopher Cushing, Tom Hogue Organizations: Nikkei, . Federal, Nasdaq, Cash U.S, Japan's Nikkei, Bank of Japan's, U.S ., People's Bank of, National Australia Bank, The Bank of England, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, Japan, People's Bank of China, .

☆ Hong Kong's new dual counter scheme 'solidifies' city's role as yuan trading hub, HKEX CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, CHINA - JUNE 05: A pedestrian walks by an electronic screen displaying the numbers for the Hang Seng Index on June 5, 2023 in Hong Kong, China. The dual counter model covers securities listed in both Hong Kong dollar and renminbi counters only. The Hong Kong Exchange said all shares of the same securities in the two different trading counters will be "fully interchangeable between counters." The HKEX CEO noted that the initial batch of 24 companies make up about 40% of the average daily trading volume in the Hong Kong. Not the first tryThis is not the first time that such a scheme is being introduced in Hong Kong.

Persons: Chen Yongnuo, Nicolas Aguzin, Aguzin Organizations: China News Service, Getty Images, Getty, Hong Kong, Companies, Baidu, Hong Kong Exchange, Hong Kong Exchanges, Investments, Connect, Stock, Stock Connect, Reuters, Bloomberg Locations: HONG KONG, CHINA, Hong Kong, China, renminbi

Asia-Pacific markets are set to trade higher on Monday, with Japan's markets set to continue reaching 33-year highs. The Nikkei 225 has posted weekly gains for the last 10 weeks, and is set to extend this with a strong open. The futures contract in Chicago stood at 33,810, and its counterpart in Osaka was at 33,700 against its last close at 33,706.08. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index looks to start the week lower, after the index saw a strong rally last week. HSI futures stood at 19,988 compared to the HSI's close of 20,040.37.

Persons: Antony Blinken Organizations: Nikkei, U.S Locations: Asia, Pacific, Chicago, Osaka, Australia, Beijing, China

☆ Asia shares near 4-month peak, yen falls as BOJ maintains policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BOJ rounded up a central bank heavy week, keeping its pledge to "patiently" sustain massive stimulus to ensure Japan sustainably achieves its 2% inflation target accompanied by wage hikes. As widely expected, the BOJ maintained its -0.1% short-term interest rate target and a 0% cap on the 10-year bond yield set under its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Markets are now pricing in 67% chance of the U.S. central bank raising its interest rate by 25 basis points next month, according to CME FedWatch tool. The European Central Bank on Thursday left the door open to more rate hikes as it flagged risks from rising wages and revised up its inflation projections. The ECB also raised interest rates by 25 bps taking its policy rate to 3.5%, a level not seen since 2001.

Persons: DAX, Kazuo Ueda's, Charu, HSI, Ryan Brandham, Lagarde, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Federal, Bank of Japan, Ueda, Saxo Markets, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Validus Risk Management, European Central Bank, ECB, NatWest Markets, China . U.S . West Texas, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, U.S, China . U.S

☆ Asia markets headed for mixed open ahead of Bank of Japan rate decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), far right, speaks during an event at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Ueda said central banks need to be more careful about how they communicate with increase in their toolkits and advancements in monetary policy making. Photographer: Noriaki Sasaki/The Yomiuri Shimbun/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set for a mixed open Friday after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted a sixth-straight day of gains and investors in the region look to the Bank of Japan's rate decision. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 were at 7,167, slightly lower than the index's last close of 7,175. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is set to extend its rally after gaining over 2% on Thursday, with futures at 19,951 compared with the HSI's close of 19,828.92.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Noriaki Sasaki Organizations: Bank of Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Bloomberg, Getty Images, Nasdaq, Bank of, Bank of America, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Getty Images Asia, Pacific, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

Retail sales - a key gauge of consumer confidence - rose 12.7%, missing forecasts of 13.6% growth and slowing from April's 18.4%. Data ranging from factory surveys and trade to loan growth and home sales have shown signs of weakness for the world's second-biggest economy. China's stock markets rose after the rates cut, with the benchmark CSI 300 gaining 0.6% in early trade, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.2%. The sector is expected to grapple with "persistent weakness" for years, dragging on economic growth, Goldman Sachs analysts said this week. The country's biggest banks recently cut their deposit rates to ease pressure on profit margins and encourage savers to spend more.

Persons: China's, Zhiwei Zhang, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Pang, Hong, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Yi, Goldman Sachs, Albee Zhang, Sam Holmes Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Jones, CSI, Capital Economics, Investment, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, outflows

Asia-Pacific markets are set to rise after the U.S. Federal Reserve held off on a rate hike while projecting that another two quarter percentage point moves are on the way before the end of the year. The latest decision left the Fed's key borrowing rate in a target range of 5%-5.25%.The central bank forecast it will raise interest rates as high as 5.6% before 2023 is over. In Asia, New Zealand fell into a technical recession after its first quarter gross domestic product fell 0.1% year on year, after reporting a revised 0.7% decline in the final quarter of 2022. Japan's May trade balance will be released later today as the Bank of Japan kicks off its two-day monetary policy meeting. China will release a slew of economic data, including industrial output, retail sales and house prices for May.

Persons: Hong Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia, Pacific, New Zealand, Japan, Chicago, Osaka, China

☆ Asian shares up, dollar wobbly as US inflation data reinforces Fed pause bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The much-watched U.S. CPI report overnight showed prices barely rose in May, with just a 0.1% increase from the prior month. On an annual basis, consumer prices rose 4%, the smallest in more than two years, slowing from April's 4.9%. Short-dated German yields jumped to a 3-month high overnight as investors looked to the rate decision from the European Central Bank on Thursday. Oil prices were lower in early trade after receiving a 3% boost on China's policy rate cut. U.S. crude futures were off 0.5% to $69.12 per barrel, while Brent crude futures fell 0.4% to $74.02 per barrel.

Persons: China's, Tony Sycamore, Jerome Powell, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nikkei, Federal Reserve, U.S, CPI, Fed, Tokyo's Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Nasdaq, IG, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Brent, Thomson Locations: China, Hong Kong, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, Japan

This gives room for the Federal Reserve to pause and skip a rate hike when they meet later this week. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 popped 1.05% on its open, inching closer to the Nikkei's all time high is just under 39,000 points in December 1989. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.32%, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.22% and the Kosdaq traded close to the flatline. South Korea's unemployment rate came in at 2.5% for May, falling for the second straight month and lower than the 2.6% recorded in April. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is also set for a strong open, with futures at 19,535 compared to the HSI's close of 19,521.42.

Persons: Ed JONES, ED JONES, Kospi, Hong Organizations: Getty Images, Federal Reserve, Nikkei Locations: Seoul, AFP, Asia, Pacific, U.S, Japan, Australia, South

Asia-Pacific markets are set to largely rise on Tuesday ahead of the U.S. inflation report and Federal Reserve's two-day meeting later in the day – the central bank is widely expected to hold rates for the first time in 15 months while inflation's annual outlook marked a two-year low in the latest New York Fed survey. Japan's Nikkei 225 is set to reach new 2023-highs – its futures contract in Chicago is at 32,795, and its counterpart in Osaka at 32,644 against its last close at 32,434. Australian markets come back from a public holiday with futures for the S&P/ASX 200 at 7,123, just slightly higher than the index's last close of 7,122. However, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is set to snap a four day winning streak, with futures at 19,358 compared to the HSI's close of 19,404.31.

Persons: Hong Organizations: Fed, Nikkei Locations: Asia, Pacific, Chicago, Osaka

☆ Asia shares track Wall Street rally with inflation data, Fed in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Julie Zhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Overall equity markets reacted positively to expectations the monetary policy cycle may be nearing its peak," ANZ analysts said in a note. "U.S. markets are now pricing a 72% probability that the Federal Reserve Monetary Policy Committee (FOMC) will hold rates at this week's meeting." On Monday, the S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) rallied to their highest closing levels since April 2022. The S&P 500 climbed 0.93% to end the session at 4,338.93 points. The two-year yield , which rises with traders' expectations of higher Fed fund rates, touched 4.5749% compared with a U.S. close of 4.592%.

Persons: Price, Brent, Julie Zhu, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Consumer, Index, CPI, PPI, ANZ, Federal Reserve Monetary, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Amazon, Apple, Dow Jones, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Treasuries, U.S, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, China, Asia, Pacific, Japan

☆ Asia shares near month high ahead of central bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, June 12 (Reuters) - Asian shares started tentatively on Monday as investors braced for central bank meetings from Europe, Japan and the United States this week, along with U.S. inflation data that will likely influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy path. China stocks (.SSEC) eased 0.01%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) opened up 0.3%. Markets are pricing for a 71% probability the U.S. central bank will stand pat when it meets on June 13-14, according to CME FedWatch tool. While doubts persist among investors which path the Fed will take this week, they are more certain the European Central Bank, which meets on Thursday, will raise rates and remain hawkish. The yen eased 0.01% to 139.39 per dollar ahead of the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) policy meeting on Friday.

Persons: Hong, HSI, Lagarde, Mohit Kumar, Kumar, Sterling, Brent, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Federal, Japan's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada, Citi, European Central Bank, Jefferies, ECB, Bank of Japan's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Europe, Japan, United States, Asia, Pacific, China, Turkish

☆ Investors are eyeing China's neighbors as the recovery from 'zero-Covid' slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesChina's lackluster economic recovery since emerging from strict "zero-Covid" lockdowns has caused weaker sentiment toward the country, prompting investors to look for alternative options — like its near neighbors. Higher targets for JapanForeign investors have undoubtedly been key in driving the Japanese market, maintaining the highest levels the Nikkei has seen since 1990. During the same period last year, foreign investors had sold a net 1.73 trillion yen approximately. Wall Street banks including Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale are among those that are optimistic on Japanese stocks, holding "overweight" positions. Upside for Korea tech stocksSouth Korea is another market closely watched as concerns over China's recovery linger.

Persons: Goldman, Andrew Tilton, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, India's, Goldman Sachs, Tilton, Morgan Stanley, ROE, Mike Wilson, we've, Price, Goldman's Tilton, Rhee Chang, Nomura, Chloe Andrieu, Pranjul Bhandari, Bhandari Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Asia, Pacific, Japan Foreign, Nikkei, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Societe Generale, Equity, U.S, UBS Global Wealth, U.S ., UBS, The Bank of, CNBC, Citi, AFP, Afp, Korea Financial Investment Association, South Korean, Fitch, Ben Advisors Locations: Macau, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Goldman Sachs, Berkshire, South, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wall, Korea, Asia, The Bank of Korea, Fuyang, China's, Anhui, Indonesia

☆ US stocks are in the firing line if China’s economy stalls further
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Recent data shows that China is also contending with worse-than-expected consumer spending, slowing manufacturing and weak home sales. What it means for markets: US-based companies doing business in China stand to lose if the economy continues on a downward trajectory. Qualcomm (QCOM), with a 67% exposure rate to China, issued disappointing forward guidance during earnings last month, citing China’s slow recovery. JD.com (JD), one of the largest Chinese companies trading in the United States, has fallen by nearly 36% this year. The air purifier market is poised to grow as climate change increases air pollution and exacerbates breathing difficulties.

Persons: That’s, China —, Capvision, China Nicholas Burns, ”, Goldman Sachs, Dow, JD.com, Morgan Stanley, Goldman, Ayaz Ebrahim, CARR, Johnson, Ivan Menezes, Diageo, Menezes ’, Menezes, King Charles III, Debra Crew, Johnnie Walker, Ivan, Javier Ferrán, “ Ivan Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, International Monetary Fund, Factories, Bain, Group, Micron Technology, Nasdaq, Apple, Intel, Starbucks, Nike, Bank of America, Las, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, MGM Resorts, MGM, China . Companies, Dragon, Goldman Sachs Group, Nomura, Barclays, JPMorgan, Asia Pacific, Bloomberg, Google, Carrier Global, Johnson Controls, Economic Co, Diageo, India, Business, ”, Whisky Association, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Locations: New York, China, Washington, Beijing, United States, Hong Kong, Dragon China, Canada, Pune, India

☆ Asian shares slide as traders fret on Fed rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was down 0.53%, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225) edged 0.08% higher. The move from the BoC comes after Australia's central bank also stunned markets by hiking interest rates earlier this week. Treasury yields were stable in early Asian hours after surging overnight after the move from Canada's central bank. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 0.4 basis points at 4.554%. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six major peers, eased 0.029%, with the euro up 0.09% to $1.0707.

Persons: Ryan Brandham, hawkish, Hong, HSI, Saxo, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, Japan's Nikkei, BoC, Validus Risk Management, Reserve Bank of Australia, Fed, Saxo Markets, Traders, Reuters, Treasury, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, China, Canada's

Cranes unload shipping containers from a vessel at the Port of Fremantle in Perth, Australia, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Asia-Pacific markets are set to fall as Wall Street saw a pause in its market rally and the broad market index fluctuated near its highest closing levels since August 2022. China's exports fell further than than expected and Australia's central bank defied market expectations by delivering a 25 basis-point hike. South Korea's Kospi inched down 0.23% in early trade, while the Kosdaq saw a larger loss at 0.43%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is also set to fall after a brief rally on Wednesday, with futures at 19,116 compared to the HSI's close of 19,252.

Organizations: Port, Nikkei, Reuters, Bank of Locations: Fremantle, Perth, Australia, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Bank of India

Cargo ships stop at their berths to load and unload containers at the container terminal in Lianyungang Port, East China's Jiangsu province, June 5, 2023. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.25%, ahead of Australia's first quarter GDP numbers. The country's economy is expected to expand 2.4% year-on-year, slightly slower than the 2.7% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022. Japan stocks were higher, with the Nikkei 225 inching closer to the 33,000 level and rising 0.47%. South Korea's markets came back from a public holiday with a positive start, with the Kospi climbing 0.28% and the Kosdaq up by 0.6%.

Persons: Philip Lowe Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, Nikkei Locations: Lianyungang Port, East China's Jiangsu, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Australia's, Japan, South

☆ Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Hover, Oil Prices Fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Stock futures are flitting between small gains and losses, while oil prices are slipping, unwinding gains that followed the OPEC+ meeting. A modest gain in regular trading would be enough to pull the S&P 500 out of its longest bear market since the 1940s. U.S. stock futures ebbed. Prices for bitcoin and other digital tokens had fallen Monday, after the SEC sued Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.2% while the Shanghai Composite index fell 1.2%.

Persons: Dow, Brent, Binance Organizations: Dow industrials, Nasdaq, Organization of, Petroleum, SEC, Nikkei Locations: OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Shanghai

☆ Asian stocks wobble as traders weigh Fed rate pause option
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A string of economic data along with last week's dovish rhetoric from Fed officials have emboldened bets of the Fed refraining from an interest rate hike at its June 13-14 meeting. Saxo strategists said recession concerns, firmer signs of Fed rate cuts or China stimulus measures may be needed to turn sentiment on the energy markets. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures greenback against six major peers, eased 0.01%. The Australian dollar eased 0.02% to $0.661 as traders wait for the policy decision from the country's central bank. "We expect the RBA to leave the cash rate on hold," analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note.

Persons: Australia's, Hong, nonfarm, Gary Dugan, Brent, Saxo, Sterling, bitcoin, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, Tokyo's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Federal, Saxo Markets, Dalma, OPEC, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CBA, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Asian shares extend global rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent oil rose 1% to $76.89 a barrel, giving up some of its earlier gains to as high as $78.73, while U.S. crude climbed 1.2% to $72.61 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $75.06. Oil prices have recently come under pressure amid heightened concerns about China's slowing economic recovery. "With Saudi Arabia protecting oil prices from sliding too low ... we think oil markets are now more prone to a shortfall later this year," said Vivek Dhar, a mining and energy commodities strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. S&P 500 futures dipped 0.1% and Nasdaq futures dropped 0.3% in Asian hours, after a strong rally on Friday, driven by a mixed U.S. jobs report, a resolution to the debt-ceiling issue and the prospect of a U.S. rate pause this month. The U.S. dollar remained elevated on Monday at 104.14 against its major peers, after gaining 0.5% on Friday on the jobs report.

Persons: Brent, Vivek Dhar, Hong, Fitch, Himani Sarkar, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, Saudi, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, bbl, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Treasury, AAA, U.S, Bank of Canada, Reuters, BOC, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, United States, Australia, Canada

☆ Stocks surge in Asia as US averts default, Fed pause bets rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The exuberant mood looked set to continue in Europe, with Eurostoxx 50 futures up 0.45%, German DAX futures up 0.49% and FTSE futures 0.18% higher. The Treasury Department had warned it would be unable to pay all its bills on June 5 if Congress failed to act. "The market's focus is shifting to the economic front and Fed's decision on rates now," said Tina Teng, markets analysts at CMC Markets. AMP's Oliver said the prevailing sentiment now is that there will be a pause in June and that's helped markets. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) rose 0.42%, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225) was 1% higher, continuing its hot run.

Persons: DAX, Shane Oliver, Tina Teng, Patrick Harker, Harker, AMP's Oliver, that's, there'll, Australia's, Sterling, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln, Kim Coghill Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S . Senate, Representatives, Treasury Department, AMP, CMC Markets, Labor, Philadelphia Federal, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Europe, Sydney, U.S, China, Shanghai

☆ Bank of America highlights seven stocks that have driven most of this year's market gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Most of the stock market gains this year have been powered by a handful of tech-focused names that have posted outsized increases, according to Bank of America. Call them the S & P 7 — or, as the firm's chief investment strategist, Michael Hartnett, labels them, the "Magnificent Seven." Together, the stock bloc has contributed 8.8 percentage points of the S & P 500 's total 10% increase, as of Thursday's close, for all of 2023. In May alone, the seven stocks posted a gain of 16%, thanks to Nvidia's earnings-fueled acceleration. "Monetary policy remains the 'big dog' & set to tighten in coming months… biggest reason we are not capitulating into risk despite price action," Hartnett wrote.

Persons: Michael Hartnett, Jim Cramer, bitcoin, Hartnett, it's Organizations: Bank of America, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Big Tech, Federal Reserve Locations: China

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