Japan was certainly the star performer today after we saw the PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) print far higher than expectations. The forecasted number was 51.9% but the release came in at 52.4 a sign that the economy is making significant sentiment in the right direction. This also comes on the heels of this similar number […]
Asia has started the new year in positive mood especially after some better than expected China data. The Chinese PMI rose to 51.9 from an expected 50.7 forecast helping the core markets register a 1%+ increase today. This comes on the heels of a change in the calculating factors for the Yuan. As we reported […]
Although the cash markets for Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Australia were closed some of the exchange traded futures market did open. All were better bid, closing in positive territory but as you would imagine, volumes were extremely thin and even the Indian Sensex closed unchanged. It was the European markets that tended to drive […]
In true year end fashion the markets declared yet another one behind us and the game plays on. The Nikkei happily clears the 19k level, the JPY returns weaker after a brief bout of book-squaring, the Hang Seng remains heavy after the autumn highs, Shanghai struggled to hold the November close whilst the Yuan off-shore […]
With the exception of Japan most Asian markets were subdued in typical holiday style. It was the downgrade of Toshiba by both Moody’s and S+P that resulted in a 17% decline in its share price today and was blamed for the 1.2% decline in the Nikkei. In late US trading the Nikkei futures have fallen […]
An extremely quiet day, as you would expect in this holiday shortened trading session. With Japan on a public holiday due to Emperors Day it was left to the Shanghai and Hang Seng to set the mood for European trading. Both closed lower as energy continued to weigh on sentiment but was probably the […]
After a reasonably quiet session for the US markets (when many had hoped the DOW would break the 20k level) Asia had little chance of making much ground. The Hang Seng took most of the wind out of their sales with prices down around -0.8% with many large caps lower on year end profit-taking and […]
Yesterdays strong US close encouraged a positive performance for Asia with even Asian dealers questioning whether the DOW is close 2016 over the psychological 20k level. This positive momentum certainly helped sentiment in todays market with the Shanghai index closing up 1.15%. Currency is having a large impact on equity markets as the US Dollar […]
The BOJ held rates unchanged in an extremely quiet market until the final hour rally. Eventually, the Nikkei closed up +0.55% even as the currency meandered around the 117 handle for the majority of the day. In late US trading we ventured back above 118 as futures added an additional +0.5%. Shanghai and the Hang […]
Today, we saw the first decline for the Nikkei in eleven trading session despite better than expected Trade data (Estimated Y227.4 but actual release Y152.5bn). The Japan Index closed down just 9pts at 19,391 but breaks the winning streak with the currency trading back below the 117 level. BOJ starts its two day meeting today […]
