Asian Markets Eye Positive Open, Tech in Focus: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Asian markets are set for a mostly positive open, with technology companies particularly in focus, following a rally in US markets after an inflation reading eased concerns of a more hawkish Federal Reserve.

Equity futures in Australia, South Korea and China point to early gains, while those in Hong Kong slipped. US contracts nudged higher after the S&P 500 rose 1% on Friday. Japan’s markets are shut for a holiday while yen traders remain alert to efforts to support the currency that’s at its weakest in more than three decades. Australian bond yields fell, following US Treasuries on Friday.

Asia technology stocks may move in early trading after earnings from Microsoft Corp. and Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. last week sent a clear message that spending on artificial intelligence and cloud computing is paying off. The rally in tech shares has helped trim the drop in global stocks this month to 2.7%, the first monthly loss since October, amid concerns over lingering inflation pressures and conflict in the Middle East. 

While the correction could be over, “there is a significant risk that it’s just a bounce from oversold conditions,” said Shane Oliver, chief economist and head of investment strategy at AMP Ltd. Still, any further selloff is unlikely to be deep and stocks will see more gains “as disinflation resumes, central banks ultimately cut interest rates and recession is avoided or proves mild,” he wrote in a note to clients.

Traders will also be focusing on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on Wednesday after the central bank’s preferred measure of inflation rose at a brisk pace in March, though roughly in line with estimates. With officials likely to hold rates steady at a more than two-decade high, much of the focus will be on any pivot in the tone of the post-meeting statement and Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference.  

“With all measures of US consumer prices showing a steep acceleration over the past three to four months, the FOMC is bound to row back hard from its earlier predictions of meaningful policy easing this year,” Societe Generale economists including Klaus Baader wrote in a note to clients. “That said, markets have already scaled back pricing of rate cuts drastically, so unless Chair Powell plays up the possibility of rate hikes, the market damage is likely to be modest.”  

A gauge of US Treasury returns has slumped 2.3% this month, set for the biggest monthly drop since February last year, as hawkish Fedspeak and strong economic data pushed back rate-cut bets. Swaps traders now see only one Fed reduction for all of 2024, well below the roughly six quarter-point cuts they expected at the start of 2024. 

Read More: Fed Rate-Cut Debate Shifts From When Toward If on Inflation Data 

Oil slipped and gold edged lower in early Asian trading as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken steps up efforts to secure a truce in Gaza in meetings in the Middle East on Monday, in what could be a final chance to persuade Israel to call off an attack on Rafah.

Elsewhere this week, European inflation readings are due while Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. report earnings. The US Treasury is also set to keep its sales of long-term debt steady in a new plan this week.

Some key events this week: 

Some of the main moves in markets:

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