Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Global Markets: Asian equities hit 9-month high as recession fears wane

Global Markets: Asian equities hit 9-month high as recession fears wane

Asian stocks rose on Friday and were poised for their fifth straight week of gains after data highlighted a resilient US economy, boosting investor sentiment ahead of next week’s slate of central bank policy meetings.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose as much as 0.55 percent to hit an almost nine-month high of 562.10, and was last at 559.39.

The index, which fell nearly 20 percent last year, is up nearly 11 percent so far this month and is on course for its best-ever January performance. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.05 percent.

European stock futures indicated that stocks were set to rise, with the Eurostoxx 50 futures up 0.3 percent, German DAX futures 0.28 percent ahead and FTSE futures up 0.16 percent.

The US economy grew faster than expected in the fourth quarter as consumers boosted spending on goods, data showed, but it could be the last quarter of solid GDP growth before the lagged effects of the Federal Reserve’s jumbo interest rate hikes are fully felt.

A separate report showed that labor market remains tight and could lead the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer.

Ashwin Alankar, head of Global Asset Allocation at Janus Henderson Investors, said the headline GDP suggested robust economic activity and if a recession were to materialize it would be a shallower one.

“Overall GDP data was a ‘tale-of-two cities’ – good overall growth stemming from less-than-ideal drivers and prices mitigating but at a rate that is worrisome.”

Thursday’s set of data has raised investor hopes of a soft landing — a scenario in which inflation eases against a backdrop of slowing but still resilient economic growth.

Futures are pricing in a 94.7 percent probability of a 25-basis-point hike next Wednesday and see the Fed’s overnight rate at 4.45 percent by next December, or lower than the 5.1 percent rate Fed officials have projected into next year.

Data on US personal consumption expenditures due at 1330 GMT will provide further clues on inflation.

“The disinflation impulse is likely to stretch further, as has been evident from CPI releases lately, likely continuing to build a case for a 25 basis point rate hike by the Fed next week,” Saxo strategists said.

Next week will also feature Bank of England and European Central Bank meetings that will indicate the monetary policy path those central banks are likely to take.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was little changed after surging more than 2 percent on Thursday. Mainland China markets are due to resume trading on Monday after the Lunar New Year holiday.

Elsewhere in Japan, core consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of nationwide trends, rose 4.3 percent in January from a year earlier, marking the fastest annual gain in nearly 42 years.

The Japanese yen strengthened 0.1 percent to 134.04 per dollar as the data reinforced market expectations that quickening inflation could nudge the Bank of Japan to move away from its ultra-easy policy.

“We still think the policy change is a long way off,” ING regional head of research Robert Carnell said. “The spring salary negotiations are key to watch as wage growth is a prerequisite for sustainable inflation.”

The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other peers, rose 0.23 percent, while the euro fell 0.22 percent to $1.0866.

Sterling was last trading at $1.23805, down 0.25 percent on the day.

Oil prices rose on expectations of a boost to demand from China’s reopening and after the strong US data. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.41 percent to $81.34 per barrel and Brent was at $87.83, also up 0.41 percent on the day.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
×