- January 10, 2025
- By: Admin1_blog
- Asia Market, Indices
Lim Hui Jie
Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Friday, with investors assessing November pay and household spending out from Japan.
Real household spending in Japan fell 0.4% year on year in November, a softer fall compared to the 0.6% decline expected by a Reuters poll of economists. The fall was also less than the 1.3% decline seen in October.
The average real income per household stood at 514,409 yen ($3,252.98) in November, up 0.7% from the previous year.
Separately, the People’s Bank of China announced it it would suspend treasury bond purchases temporarily, Reuters reported. This was due to the bonds being in short supply, with the PBOC adding it would resume bond buying depending on supply and demand in the government bond market.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 0.47% after the announcement, after initially posting gains, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was down 0.46%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.02%, leading losses in Asia, with the broad-based Topix seeing a smaller loss of 0.68%. Heavyweight Fast Retailing lost as much as 7.83% despite posting strong first-quarter results.
South Korea’s Kospi was marginally below the flatline, and the small-cap Kosdaq was down 0.82%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also slipped 0.52%, after being in positive territory earlier in the session.
| TICKER | COMPANY | NAME | PRICE | CHANGE | %CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .N225 | Nikkei 225 Index | *NIKKEI | 39322.38 | -282.71 | -0.71 |
| .HSI | Hang Seng Index | *HSI | 19144.46 | -96.43 | -0.5 |
| .AXJO | S&P/ASX 200 | *ASX 200 | 8294.1 | -35.1 | -0.42 |
| .SSEC | Shanghai | *SHANGHAI | 3198.23 | -13.17 | -0.41 |
| .KS11 | KOSPI Index | *KOSPI | 2522.09 | 0.19 | 0.01 |
| .FTFCNBCA | CNBC 100 ASIA IDX | *CNBC 100 | 9831.78 | -59.57 | -0.6 |
Overnight in the U.S., markets were closed on Thursday due to the funeral of former president Jimmy Carter, but traders will assess labor data on Friday stateside, with nonfarm payroll numbers for December.
Economists expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday morning to report a gain of 155,000 in nonfarm payrolls, a step down from the surprising 227,000 increase in November but about in keeping with the four-month average. The unemployment rate is forecast to hold steady at 4.2%.
— CNBC’s Jeff Cox contributed to this report.
Sunac China shares plunge nearly 30% after receiving winding up order
Shares of Chinese property developer Sunac China plunged as much as 29.7% after the company reportedly received a winding up petition.
Reuters said the petition has been filed by a unit of asset manager China Cinda Asset Management, and a hearing is scheduled for March 19.
Earlier this week, sources close to the company said it was unlikely to meet a September bond maturity deadline which is part of its restructuring process, according to the Reuters report.
— Reuters
China central bank suspends treasury bond buying as yields continue to slide
China’s central bank said Friday that it would temporarily halt its buying of government bonds due to excess demand and short supply in the market.
Benchmark bond yields have plunged to record lows this month. The 10-year government bond yield has dropped 6.59 basis points this year to 1.6028% as of Thursday close, according LSEG data. The yield on the 10-year note stood at 1.642% Friday morning.
The bond rally has been driven by bets on additional policy easing steps and demand for safe-haven assets amid a prolonged property crisis and weak consumption.
“The supply of the government debt has fallen short of demand,” the People’s Bank of China said, adding that it will resume the bond purchases depending on the market condition.
— Anniek Bao
Shares of Uniqlo parent company tumble almost 8% despite posting higher profit
Shares of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, fell as much as 7.83% despite the company posting a rise in first-quarter profit and revenue.
Fast Retailing reported revenue for 895.1 billion yen ($6.08 billion) for the three months ended November, a 10.4% increase, year on year.
Operating profit rose 7.4% to 157.5 billion, while attributable profit was up 22.4% to 131.9 billion yen.
Fast Retailing has the largest weight on Japan’s Nikkei 225, at 11.98%. The index was down 0.70%.
— Lim Hui Jie
Japan household spending slips 0.4% in November
Real household spending in Japan fell 0.4% year on year, declining for a fourth straight month.
This was a softer fall compared to the 0.6% decline expected by a Reuters poll of economists, and also less than the 1.3% decline seen in October.
Data from the country’s statistics bureau said the average expenditure per household was 295,518 yen, while the average household monthly stood at 514,409 yen ($3,252.98), up 0.7% in real terms from the previous year.
A weak spending figure could hurt the Bank of Japan’s goal to raise rates, as well as dent its case for a “virtuous cycle” of rising wages and prices.
— Lim Hui Jie
Japan household spending slips 0.4% in November
Real household spending in Japan fell 0.4% year on year, declining for a fourth straight month.
This was a softer fall compared to the 0.6% decline expected by a Reuters poll of economists, and also less than the 1.3% decline seen in October.
Data from the country’s statistics bureau said the average expenditure per household was 295,518 yen, while the average household monthly stood at 514,409 yen ($3,252.98), up 0.7% in real terms from the previous year.
A weak spending figure could hurt the Bank of Japan’s goal to raise rates, as well as dent its case for a “virtuous cycle” of rising wages and prices.
— Lim Hui Jie
Want to invest in the UK? Barclays names 3 stocks to buy — giving 2 over 40% upside
There may be some questions about the strength of the U.K. economy right now, but Barclays continues to see investment opportunities in the country, naming small- and mid-cap stocks it is betting on right now.
— Amala Balakrishner
Source : cnbc
