SYDNEY- Asian shares slipped to seven-week lows on Thursday after a dismaying rise in US inflation bludgeoned Wall Street and sent bond yields surging on worries the Federal Reserve might have to move early on tightening.
“Higher inflation is a definite negative for equities, given the likely rates response,” said Deutsche Bank macro strategist Alan Ruskin.
“The more nominal GDP gains are dominated by higher inflation, especially wage inflation, the more the possible squeeze on profit margins. It plays to a more choppy, less bullish equity bias.”
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 0.6 percent, though trade was thinned by holidays in a number of countries.
Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.8 percent, and touched its lowest since early January, while Chinese blue chips lost 0.7 percent.
Asian markets were already on the backfoot this week amid inflation worries and a tech sell-off on Wall Street, and nerves were further jangled on Wednesday when Taiwan stocks .TWII tumbled on fears the island could face a partial lockdown amid an outbreak of the virus.
Nasdaq futures were trying to rally with a gain of 0.5 percent, while S&P 500 futures added 0.4 percent. But EUROSTOXX 50 futures were still catching up with overnight falls and lost 0.5 percent, while FTSE futures shed 0.3 percent.
Wall Street was blindsided when data showed US consumer prices jumped by the most in nearly 12 years in April as booming demand amid a reopening economy met supply constraints at home and abroad.
The jump was largely due to outsized increases in airfares, used cars and lodging costs, which were all driven by the pandemic and likely transitory. – Reuters
