Most Asian stocks slipped Tuesday as investors await more clues on whether the recovery from the pandemic will stoke price pressures and imperil loose monetary policy. The dollar climbed. Shares from Japan to Australia pared or reversed gains. U.S. futures gave back earlier climbs, leaving S&P 500 contracts steady and those on the Nasdaq 100 slightly higher. The S&P 500 closed near a record overnight, while a rally in Biogen Inc. on approval of its Alzheimer’s drug boosted the Nasdaq 100.
Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields slipped. Traders are awaiting the U.S. inflation report to assess price pressures and expectations that the Federal Reserve is getting closer to starting talks about tapering asset purchases. Oil extended a decline, losing some momentum after hitting $70 a barrel in New York for the first time in over two years. Digital tokens including Bitcoin retreated, with the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index shedding as much as 10%.
Global equities continue to hover around all-time highs and cross-asset volatility has ebbed, underpinned by the economic reopening from the health crisis and central bank support. But there are concerns about how long the calm can last given that policy makers will eventually pare back stimulus as the recovery builds. Thursday’s U.S. CPI report will be one of the last major economic indicators before the Fed’s rate decision later this month.
Stocks
S&P 500 futures were flat as of 1:07 p.m. in Tokyo. The S&P 500 was little changedNasdaq 100 futures rose 0.2%. The index added 0.2%Japan’s Topix index rose 0.1%Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.1%South Korea’s Kospi index was flatHong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 0.4%China’s Shanghai Composite index dipped 0.5%Euro Stoxx 50 futures shed 0.1%
Currencies
The Japanese yen traded at 109.42 per dollar, down 0.2%The offshore yuan was at 6.3896 per dollar. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%The euro was at $1.2178
Bonds
The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped about one basis point to 1.56%
Commodities
West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.9% to $68.59 a barrelGold was at $1,895.99 an ounce, down 0.1%
Source: FXPro