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Asian shares were mostly higher on Wednesday, ahead of a closely watched speech by the Federal Reserve chief that may give clues about future interest rate hikes.
Investors were also eyeing developments in China, where protests have erupted over the “zero-COVID” strategy that has confined millions of people to their homes, sometimes for months.
Shares fell in Tokyo and Shanghai but were higher in Sydney, Seoul, Hong Kong and other regional markets. Oil prices rose.
China has eased some controls after demonstrations in at least eight mainland cities and Hong Kong. It's unclear if protests will start up again after authorities detained an unknown number of people and stepped up surveillance.
Renewed restrictions on businesses and other activity have hit manufacturing, with an official survey announced Wednesday showing the purchasing managers’ index falling to 48.0 in November from 49.2 the month before. The index is on a scale of 0 to 100, where readings 50 and above show expansion.
“A further fall in the new orders and new export orders indices suggests this was largely driven by weakening domestic and foreign demand,” Capital Economics said in a report. “Today’s surveys suggest that intensified virus disruption has delivered another blow to the economy this month.”
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.2 per cent in afternoon trading to 27,968.99 and the Shanghai Composite index fell less than 0.2 per cent to 3,144.06. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4 per cent to 7,284.20. South Korea's Kospi rose 1.6 per cent to 2,472.53. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.6 per cent to 18,316.65.
“Due to a more reflective approach to the recent zero-Covid measures, Chinese stocks have taken substantial leaps and bounds this week. However, that optimism is giving way to hawkish contemplation as traders twiddle their thumbs awaiting a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later Wednesday,” Stephen Innes, a managing partner at SPI Asset Management, said in a report.
Investors have been hoping that the Fed could ease up on its rate increases and are closely watching the latest data on inflation, consumer spending and the employment market. They’ll be looking for any signs of a shift in policy when Powell speaks at the Brookings Institution about the outlook for the US economy and the labour market on Wednesday.
The Fed’s benchmark rate currently stands at 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent, up from close to zero in March.
Wall Street capped an unsteady day of trading with an uneven finish, as gains by energy companies were offset by losses in technology and other sectors. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2 per cent to 3,957.63, its third straight drop. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 0.6 per cent to 10,983.78, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended just barely in the green, at 33,852.53. The Russell 2000 index of small company stocks rose 0.3 per cent to 1,836.55.
Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the broader market. Apple fell 2.1 per cent. Financial and industrial stocks were among the gainers. American Express added 2 per cent and United Parcel Service rose 2.8 per cent. Energy stocks rose as US crude oil prices climbed 1.2 per cent. Hess rose 1.8 per cent.
Railroad operators rose amid hopes that a rail strike can be averted if Congress votes to impose a deal that unions agreed to in September. Union Pacific rose 2 per cent and CSX gained 1.8 per cent.
The Conference Board reported on Tuesday that consumer confidence fell slightly in November from October, but remains relatively strong. Consumer spending has been solid area of the economy, along with employment.
The US government will be releasing several reports about the labour market this week. A report about job openings and labour turnover for October will be released on Wednesday, followed by a weekly unemployment claims report Thursday. The closely watched monthly report on the job market will be released on Friday.
In energy trading, benchmark US crude gained 52 cents to $78.72 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 87 cents to $83.90 a barrel.
In currency trading, the US dollar inched down to 138.48 Japanese yen from 138.65 yen. The euro cost $1.0350, up from $1.0331.
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