Japan core CPI growth slows

Asian Market Update: Japan core CPI growth slows; Health Minister hints at GPIF changes without details

Economic Data

- (JP) JAPAN SEPT TOKYO CPI Y/Y: 2.9% (3-month high) V 2.7%E; CPI EX-FRESH FOOD Y/Y: 2.6% (6-month low) V 2.6%E

- (JP) JAPAN AUG NATIONAL CPI Y/Y: 3.3% (5-month low) V 3.3%E; CPI EX-FRESH FOOD Y/Y: 3.1% (5-month low) V 3.2%E

- (CN) CHINA AUG CONFERENCE BOARD LEADING INDEX M/M: 0.7% (3-month low) V 1.2% PRIOR

- (KR) SOUTH KOREA SEPT CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: 107 V 107 PRIOR

- (UK) UK SEPT HOMETRACK HOUSING SURVEY M/M: 0.0% V 0.1% PRIOR; Y/Y: 5.0% V 5.5% PRIOR

Index Snapshot (as of 02:30 GMT)

- Nikkei225 -1.0%, S&P/ASX -1.1%, Kospi -0.3%, Shanghai Composite -0.1%, Hang Seng -0.6%, Dec S&P500 +0.1% at 1,963

Commodities/Fixed Income/Currencies

- Dec gold +0.2% at $1,224/oz, Nov crude oil flat% at $92.55/brl , Dec copper +0.6% at $3.05/lb

- (US) Weekly Fed Balance Sheet Total Assets for week ending Sept 25th: $4.46T v $4.45T prior; M1 y/y change: 11.2% v 11.2% w/w; M2 y/y change: 6.6% v 6.6% w/w

- (JP) BOJ offers to buy ¥100B in 10-25yr JGB, ¥30B in JGB with maturity over 25-yr, ¥20B in inflation-indexed JGB, as wells ¥1T in T-bills

- (AU) Australia MoF (AOFM) sells A$1.5B in 2.75% Bonds due 2019; Avg yield: 3.0542%; Bid-to-cover: 2.9x

- (JP) Japan investors bought net ¥773.9B in foreign bonds v sold net ¥401.1B in prior week; Foreign investors bought net ¥294.8B in Japan stocks v bought net ¥136.8B in prior week

- USD/CNY: (CN) PBoC sets yuan mid point at 6.1508 v 6.1497 prior setting (weakest yuan setting since Sept 8th)

Market Focal Points/Key Themes

- Asian bourses are tracking the outsized selloff in US markets - the largest in nearly 2 months - with disappointing Durable Goods orders weighing on sentiment ahead of tomorrow's US final GDP release. Nike and Micron posted solid numbers after the market close and traded higher by 7% and 4% afterhours respectively, while S&P500 futures are off the lows with a modest 0.1% rise.

- CPI figures out of Japan were in focus, sliding to multi-month lows on core basis and potentially adding to the case for more BOJ help down the line. Nationwide, food and fuel components saw the largest annual increases of 4.9% and 6.4% respectively. Comments from the Cabinet Office suggested the govt assessment of CPI remains unchanged as "rising mildly". Also out of Japan, the health minister who is the head of pension fund GPIF said it would be better to draft a "good law" than doing something "hasty", but also noted some changes without new legislation may be possible. USD/JPY traded up about 60pips from the lows to as high as 109.10 after the comments despite the few details offered.

- Conference Board put out China August Leading Economic Index at a 3-month low rate of growth. Resident economist said the "monthly growth slowed markedly in August as real estate activity weakened and consumer expectations fell again." Despite expectations of some targeted stimulus policy response by Beijing, CB noted it does not expect a "sustained pick up in Chinese economy any time soon."

Equities

US markets:

- NKE: Reports Q1 $1.09 v $0.88e, R$7.98B v $7.80Be; Exec: Sees Q2 Rev growth in low double digits, GM to increase 125-150bps; FY EPS growth seen at high 20% rate, GM to increase 125bps; Q2 - conf call; +7.3% afterhours

- THO: Reports Q4 $1.25 v $1.19e, R$1.04B v $1.04Be; +4.0% afterhours

- MU: Reports Q4 $0.82 (adj) v $0.82e, R$4.23B v $4.17Be; Issues Q1 FY15 DRAM and NAND guidance - conf call slides; Guides Q1 R$4.45-4.7B v $4.48Be - conf call; +3.8% afterhours

- POWL: Lowers FY14 EPS to $1.25-1.45 v $2.13e (2 est; prior $2.15-2.40), Rev guidance to $630-640M v $666Me (prior $650-675M); -10.0% afterhours

Notable movers by sector:

- Consumer Discretionary: Capcom 9697.JP -2.2% (analyst action); Guangdong Advertising 002400.CN +5.8% (announces cooperation with Baidu)

- Materials: Sichuan Tianqi Lithium Resources 002466.CN +1.7% (enters strategic alliance with Tibet Mineral on salt lake lithium)

- Industrials: Fanuc 6954.JP +4.0% (raises FY14/15 guidance); Hyundai Motor 005380.KR -1.3%, Kia Motors 000270.KR -1.0% (Hyundai, Kia workers to go on strikes); Chongqing Department Store 600729.CN +0.7% (launches e-commerce site)

- Utilities: Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy 579.HK -0.6% (shares issuance)