Asian stocks traded higher across the board early Thursday, holding on to gains despite a private survey showing China’s manufacturing activity at a one-year low.
HSBC’s preliminary reading of China’s factory activity for April came in at 49.2, compared with a Reuters forecast for a 49.6 print. Last month, government data showed the official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) edged up to 50.1, better than HSBC’s final PMI, which came in at 49.6 indicating the country’s vast manufacturing sector in contraction. The 50-point level separates an expansion in activity from a contraction.
Overnight, U.S. stocks closed about half a percent higher, ending a day of choppy trade as investors weighed mixed earnings and signs of strength in the housing market.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD flirts with daily tops near 1.0730
The continuation of the selling pressure in the Greenback now lends further oxygen to the risk complex, encouraging EUR/USD to revisit the area of daily highs near 1.0730.
USD/JPY looks stable around 156.50 as suspicious intervention lingers
USD/JPY remains well on the defensive in the mid-156.00s albeit off daily lows, as market participants continue to digest the still-unconfirmed FX intervention by the Japanese MoF earlier in the Asian session.
Gold advances for a third consecutive day
Gold fluctuates in a relatively tight channel above $2,330 on Monday. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield corrects lower and helps XAU/USD limit its losses ahead of this week's key Fed policy meeting.
Week Ahead: Bitcoin could surprise investors this week Premium
Two main macroeconomic events this week could attempt to sway the crypto markets. Bitcoin (BTC), which showed strength last week, has slipped into a short-term consolidation.
Five Fundamentals for the week: Fed fears, Nonfarm Payrolls, Middle East promise an explosive week Premium
Higher inflation is set to push Fed Chair Powell and his colleagues to a hawkish decision. Nonfarm Payrolls are set to rock markets, but the ISM Services PMI released immediately afterward could steal the show.