Asia Markets Show Resilience in Thin Holiday Trade
Asian equity markets demonstrated strength on Monday during thin holiday trading. Caution prevailed amidst anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and a critical US inflation report later in the week.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index surged by 0.92%, outperforming the region. Notably, Japan’s Q1 GDP contraction was less severe than the initial estimates had indicated.
Japan also experienced an improvement in its current account surplus, surpassing market expectations. Additionally, the country saw a decline in the service sector gauge for May, missing the consensus forecast.
Upcoming Focus on Bank of Japan’s Policy Decision
Investors are eagerly awaiting the Bank of Japan’s policy decision scheduled for Friday. Market attention is particularly on whether the central bank will reduce its monthly bond purchases.
Market closures were observed in China and Hong Kong for the holiday period. India’s Sensex Index increased marginally by 0.05%, as investors reacted to Narendra Modi’s swearing-in for a third term as India’s Prime Minister and awaited the formation of the new government.
US Market Reflections in Contrast
Notably, market performance in the US on Friday showed a decline across all major indexes following a robust jobs report, which tempered expectations of a swift interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
US stock futures remained relatively stable on Monday, as investor focus shifted towards the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decision and the May inflation data release: Dow (-0.25%); S&P 500 (-0.18%); Nasdaq (-0.13%).
Anticipation Builds Ahead of Key Events
Investors are approaching the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting and the release of the US inflation figures with caution. The decisions come in the wake of recent rate adjustments in Canada and Europe, while China and India are set to unveil their inflation numbers for May on Wednesday.
Key currency pairs such as JPY:USD, CNY:USD, AUD:USD, INR:USD, HKD:USD, and NZD:USD will continue to be closely monitored for any significant developments.