TOKYO, Aug 31 ― Asian markets extended the global stocks selloff today, as investor worries about aggressive monetary tightening were inflamed further by strong US jobs data.
The overnight JOLTS report on job openings ― closely watched by the Federal Reserve ― pointed to extremely tight labour conditions, defying the Fed's tightening efforts so far and bolstering the case to do more.
To discourage speculation about rate reductions next year, New York Fed President John Williams said yesterday that the central bank likely needed to get the policy rate above 3.5 per ent, and was unlikely to cut rates at all in 2023.
“The strong JOLTS data and Fed rhetoric was the overwhelming narrative,” knocking stocks further and pushing up bond yields, Tapas Strickland, an analyst at National Australia Bank, wrote in a note to clients.
“Financial conditions are a key transmission mechanism for monetary policy, and equities are part of that.” Japan's Nikkei sagged 0.6 per cent, while Australia's share benchmark slid 0.4 per cent and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.5 per cent.
Chinese blue chips retreated 0.5 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slumped 1.8 per cent, with its tech shares tumbling 2.5 per cent.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific stocks declined 0.7 per cent. Its world equity index slumped 0.9 per cent yesterday, for a third straight day of losses.
US equity futures though pointed to some respite, with S&P 500 e-minis indicating a 0.3 per cent rebound from the index's 1.1 per cent slide yesterday.
Investors will now be even more attentive to the monthly US jobs report on Friday.
Earlier yesterday, data showed German inflation rose to its highest in almost 50 years in August, strengthening the case for the European Central Bank to also go for a super-sized rate hike next month.
Money markets currently place 68.5 per cent odds of a 75 basis-point increase by the Fed on September 21.
The two-year US Treasury yield, which is relatively more sensitive to the monetary policy outlook, hit a fresh 15-year high at 3.497 per cent overnight, but eased back to 3.4558 per cent in Tokyo trading.
The 10-year Treasury yield, which hit a two-month high of 3.153 per cent yesterday, stood at 3.1137 per cent.
The dollar index, which measures the currency against six major peers, softened slightly to 108.69, after starting the week by marking a new two-decade high at 109.48.
Gold was little changed at US$1,723.62 (RM7,714), hovering near a one-month low of US$1,719.56, set Monday.
Crude oil rebounded from declines of more than US$5 overnight, as industry data showed US fuel stocks fell more than expected.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures rose 64 cents to US$92.28 a barrel in early Asian trading, after sliding US$5.37 in the previous session driven by recession fears.
Brent crude futures climbed 48 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to US$99.79 a barrel, trimming yesterday's US$5.78 loss. ― Reuters
