Asian Markets Rise on Trade Optimism and Strong US Earnings
Markets across Asia rose on Thursday as optimism from Wall Street and the promise of more U.S. trade deals fueled trading. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) climbed 0.4%, to its peak since the year before. Japan’s Nikkei 225 continued its surge, moving within a hair’s breadth of its all-time high as Singapore’s STI and Japan’s Topix both breached heights.
Recent trade agreements with Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines have lifted investor confidence. Now it is talking with the EU, raising the possibility of a bigger deal. European stock futures were swept along with the optimism: Euro Stoxx 50 futures rose 1.17%, DAX futures 1.15%, and FTSE futures 0.39%.
“Markets seem to be ready to throw caution aside on the back of significant trade deals,” said NAB strategist Gavin Friend.
Trump’s Fed Visit Sparks New Speculation
In a surprise, President Trump is scheduled to visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday, two days before the next policy meeting. Analysts speculated that the visit might be intended to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. The Fed is overwhelmingly anticipated to keep rates unchanged next week.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was unchanged at 4.3937%, while the 2-year yield traded at 3.8908%. The dollar fell 0.31% against the yen to 146.03 and dipped briefly on the dollar index, down to 97.156.
Earnings and Wall Street Drive Momentum
U.S. stocks rose strongly on Wednesday. The Dow rose 1.1%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.76%, and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%. To date, 23% of S&P 500 companies have reported results for the second quarter, with 85% of them beating expectations, according to LSEG data.
In Asia, shares of the South Korean microchip maker SK Hynix and the Indian technology services company Infosys both provided optimistic earnings forecasts, setting aside concerns about tariffs. The focus of investors now turns to reports from big U.S. companies and the ECB’s rate decision later on Thursday.
The ECB is expected to pause after seven straight cuts. Traders anticipate one more cut by December. Trump’s earlier threat of a 30% tariff on EU goods could potentially be softened down, as officials indicate that a compromise of a 15% flat rate is in the works.
Commodities Steady Ahead of Central Bank Moves
Oil prices rose on Thursday following a sharp drop in the United States’ crude stocks and amid expectations of potential trade deals lifting demand for crude. American crude gained 0.52% to $65.59 a barrel. Spot gold eased marginally to $3,382.79 an ounce as safe-haven demand waned.
