Asia shares take a time out, Brent breaks above $65
Asian shares took a small step back on Tuesday after three straight sessions of gains, with markets consolidating in the hope an upswing in global growth could outlast a likely hike in U.S. borrowing costs this week.
The latest promising news came from China where banks doled out a surprisingly generous dose of credit in November, which could bode well for a pick up in retail sales and industrial output due later in the week.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS drifted off 0.3 percent, having bounced 2 percent in the past three sessions.
Moves were minor across the region, with blue-chip Chinese shares down 0.5 percent .CSI300 and Australian stocks up 0.2 percent. Japan's Nikkei .N225 eased 0.3 percent, after the index scored its highest close in 25 years on Monday. [.T]
Spread betters pointed to a modestly firmer start on most European bourses, while E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 were up a slim 0.04 percent.
Wall Street had been led higher by technology and energy stocks, with Apple Inc (AAPL.O) making the biggest contribution. The Dow .DJI rose 0.23 percent, while the S&P 500 .SPX added 0.32 percent and the Nasdaq .IXIC 0.51 percent.
There was no lasting market impact from an explosion in New York’s busy Port Authority commuter hub, described by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as an “attempted terrorist attack”.
Investors continued their policy vigil with the Federal Reserve set to end its two-day meeting on Wednesday, while the European Central Bank meets on Thursday.
JPMorgan Economist David Hensley suspects the Fed will revise up its growth forecast while trimming the outlook for the unemployment rate, potentially adding upside risk to the “dot plot” forecasts on interest rates.
“The dot plot previously called for three hikes in 2018; it is a close call whether this moves to four hikes,” he warned, a shift that would likely boost the dollar but could bludgeon bonds.
“For its part, the European Central Bank (ECB)is likely to emphasize its low-for-long stance and continue to distance itself from the Fed,” he added. “The staff is likely to revise up its 2018 growth forecast, while we think the core inflation forecast will reveal an even slower recovery than before.”
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