Another mixed day for Asian equities

China markets fall

The soft US GDP data saw Wall Street pricing in a more dovish future Fed, lifting Wall Street higher overnight. The S&P 500 rose by 1.21%, the Nasdaq gained 1.08%, and the Dow Jones added 1.01% in a robust session. Aftermarket earnings releases from Apple were slightly higher than forecast, while Amazon released well above forecast earnings. That has sparked a sharp rise in Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures in Asia, while the value-centric Dow has lagged. S&P 500 futures are 0.65% higher, Nasdaq futures have leapt 1.45% higher, and Dow futures are unchanged.

The US stock market performance has once again had uneven follow-throughs in Asia. The Nikkei 225 is now down 0.20% after the overnight yen rally continued unabated in Asia today, impacting exporters. However, South Korea’s Kospi has managed a 0.50% gain, with Taipei also adding 0.35%.

On mainland China markets, things look rather grimmer after economic warnings today from the China Commerce Ministry, which said domestic consumption and foreign trade faced difficulties. The Shanghai Composite has fallen by 0.72%, with the CSI 300 losing 1.10%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng has slumped by 2.25%.

China and Japan’s performance seem to be tempering sentiment elsewhere in Asia as well. Singapore is 0.50% lower, Kuala Lumpur is 0.30% higher, and Jakarta is 0.45% higher. Bangkok is closed, but Manila has fallen by 1.08%. Australian markets are more closely tracking US markets today. The All Ordinaries have rallied by 0.90%, while the ASX 200 has gained 0.80%.

The mixed performance by Asia, and especially the China comments, mean European markets are unlikely to repeat yesterday’s positive session in early trading. Much will depend on the Germany/Eurozone GDP data and the Eurozone inflation data. Softer GDPs and high inflation prints will likely see European equity markets head south, especially with weekend risk beckoning.

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