SYDNEY – Asian shares forged ahead on Tuesday while US stock futures challenged a major chart barrier as investors looked past Sino-US trade tensions to more stimulus in China and a re-opening world economy.
Japan’s Nikkei led the way with a rise of 2 percent to its highest since early March when the economic impact of the coronavirus was just becoming clear.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 1.4 percent, while South Korea rose 1.1 percent.
While Wall Street had been shut on Monday, E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 climbed 1.3 percent to test the 3,000 level. EUROSTOXX 50 futures added 0.6 percent and FTSE futures 1.8 percent.
Chinese blue chips firmed 0.8 percent after the country’s central bank said it would strengthen economic policy and continue to push to lower interest rates on loans.
While largely reiterations of past comments, they helped offset the war of words between Washington and Beijing over trade, the coronavirus and China’s proposals for stricter security laws in Hong Kong.
European sentiment also got a lift when a survey showed German business morale rebounded in May as activity gradually returned to normal after weeks of lockdowns.
“US-China tensions continue to simmer in the background, but equity investors appear more interested on the prospect of economies reopening around the globe,” said Rodrigo Catril, a senior FX strategist at NAB.
“On this score, Japan ended its nationwide state of emergency, Spaniards have returned to bars in Madrid wearing masks and England will reopen some businesses on June 1.”
Bond investors suspect economies will still need massive amounts of central bank support long after they reopen and that is keeping yields low even as governments borrow much more.
Yields on US 10-year notes were trading at 0.65 percent having recovered from a blip up to 0.74 percent last week when the market absorbed a tidal wave of new issuance.
The decline in US yields might have been a burden for the dollar but with rates everywhere near or less than zero, major currencies have been holding to tight ranges.