WASHINGTON, April 29 — A dovish message from the US Federal Reserve and more stimulus from Washington saw emerging markets’ stocks and currency indexes scale two-month peaks today while Turkey’s central bank flagged inflation pressures and pledged a tight policy.
MSCI’s indexes of emerging currencies and stocks jumped 0.4 per cent, extending a recent multi-day run of gains.
The Federal Reserve said it wants to keep monetary policy loose for the foreseeable future, helping global risk assets in addition to optimism from a US$1.8 trillion (RM7.3 trillion) stimulus package.
The Turkish lira firmed 0.4 per cent against the dollar after Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu said in his first quarterly inflation report that tight policy will be maintained on high inflation expectations as the economy suffers from a jump in coronavirus infections and a weak currency.
However, the lira has dropped some 9 per cent so far this year, making it one of the worst performing emerging market currencies.
South Africa’s rand strengthened 0.3 per cent to its highest since January 2020, extending a stellar run that has seen it become the best performing emerging market currency over the past 12 months.
“The currency has been well-supported by a host of factors, including current account surplus, positive real yields and contained inflation as well as relatively low positioning among real money investors,” said JPMorgan’s Saad Siddiqui, raising its exposure on the currency to “overweight” from “market weight”.
Russia’s rouble eked out small gains to hover above the 74 level, helped by rising oil prices and improving geo-political tensions.
The rouble is set for its best month since last December after Russia said it would withdraw some troops from the border with Ukraine, easing fears of new sanctions against Moscow after the United States barred its banks from buying OFZ government bonds in primary auctions from mid-June.
“The rouble exchange rate was rocked by a combination of fresh US sanctions and military escalation along Russia’s border with Ukraine, volatility from those developments largely calmed down, but anxiety lingers among investors because major threats were exchanged when things were heated up,” said Tatha Ghose, an analyst at Commerzbank.
Most central European currencies traded flat against the euro, with Hungary’s forint being the top gainer, up 0.3 per cent after its average annual wages jumped 9.6 per cent in February, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said.
Meanwhile the Polish zloty recorded only marginal gains in cautious trade as investors focus on an European court decision on FX mortgages.
Central Europe’s rate-setters for the most part look set to weather a looming spike in inflation and let their economies rebound with a vengeance from the Covid-19 shutdown, propelled by strong domestic demand, investments and European Union funds. — Reuters
