|
 China nudged the yuan higher for the first time in nine days,
easing fears that it had lost control of the currency. Traders also
cheered its decision to dump an unpopular stock market
"circuit-breaker" system introduced this week, helping to restore a
measure of risk appetite.
After a 10 percent-plus drop in Chinese equities, an equally
dramatic slump in oil and major volatility in other markets, a 2
percent rise by Chinese shares helped Asia end higher for the first
time in 2016. Europe followed suit, with the FTSE, DAX and CAC40 up
0.5 to 0.7 percent.
Nevertheless, the nightmare start to 2016 means Asian markets have
seen their worst week since the euro zone crisis in 2011, and for
Europe and the 46-country MSCI All World share index the worst in
over four months.
 "We've had a stabilization in China overnight, but the question
remains as to whether China's economy is headed for a hard or soft
landing," said Richard McGuire, senior fixed income strategist at
Rabobank.
There was also a sense of relief in commodities markets as oil
prices pulled out of their tailspin, although few experts were
willing to declare an end to the slump.
After reaching a 12-year low the previous session, Brent crude rose
53 cents to $34.28 a barrel by 0930 GMT, from an intraday high of
$34.72. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 40 cents at $33.63 a
barrel.
Industrial metals like copper, iron ore and zinc also rose after
losses of 4 to 6 percent so far this week. Gold was one of several
safe-haven assets to retreat.
It all came just in time for some of the most influential pieces of
macroeconomic data for markets, the monthly U.S. non-farm payrolls
figures.
The latest Reuters poll shows economists expect 200,000 jobs were
added last month and the overall unemployment rate remained at a 7
1/2-year low of 5 percent.
A solid report could soothe fears over the economy's health by
showing recent weakness was largely restricted to manufacturers and
exporters. Both have been hit by a strong dollar and anemic global
demand.
It will also be the first reading since the Federal Reserve raised
U.S. interest rates last month for the first time in almost a
decade. ON THE JOBS
Amid hopes for a solid payrolls number and relief over the steadying
of the yuan, the dollar rose more than half a percent against both
the euro to $1.0878 and yen to 118.34 yen on Friday.
[to top of second column] |
The yen, the currency market's safe-haven darling, has been one of
the major beneficiaries of this week's turbulence. It gained roughly
1.7 percent against the dollar and 1.5 percent versus the euro.
Friday's reversal came after China's central bank nudged the
yuan/dollar rate up to 6.5636 per dollar. On Thursday, it reportedly
had intervened to defend the yuan in offshore trade, reversing a
decline of more than 1 percent that took it to a record low of
6.7600 per dollar.
The PBOC's Friday setting is "a signal it does not intend to keep
allowing the yuan to fall," said Yoshinori Shigemi, global market
strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management.
Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei surrendered earlier gains to end
the day down 0.4 percent at its lowest closing price since Sept. 30.
That extended losses for the week to 7 percent, the biggest weekly
decline in four months.
In bond markets, yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries fell to a 2
1/2-month low of 2.119 percent on Thursday and last stood at 2.17807
percent. German Bunds were steady at 0.539 after their yields fell
this week as investors headed into safe assets.
"The fact that 10-year German yields are back at around 50 basis
points shows there is a flight to quality," said Martin van Vliet,
senior rates strategist at ING.
Though much could depend on the 1330 GMT payrolls figures, Wall
Street, which opens at 1430 GMT, was expected to see a small bounce
after a five percent fall this week, one of its worst starts to a
year on record.
After the U.S. market close on Thursday, two Apple suppliers added
to growing worries about slowing shipments of the iPhone 6S and 6S
Plus by cutting their revenue estimates for the third quarter.
(Additional reporting by Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe in London,
editing by Larry King)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
