MSCI Financial News

One of last year’s hottest quant trades is getting a reboot, even as it misfires in the world’s largest stock market. 

By Xie Yu

By Dhara Ranasinghe and Tom Westbrook

We don’t support this browser anymore. This means our website may not look and work as you would expect. Read more about browsers and how to update them here.

surging oil prices drive inflation and set the scene for the Federal Reserve to project interest rates staying higher for longer. Brent crude futures eased from 10-month highs overnight but at $94.26 a barrel are up 30% in three months thanks to Saudi Arabia and Russia vowing to extend output cuts. Higher energy costs led to a bigger-than-expected spike in Canadian inflation, overnight data showed, lifting the loonie and triggering selling in the Treasury market. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest since 2007 at 4.371% overnight and were last at 4.36%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2%, as did Japan's Nikkei. Overnight on Wall Street the S&P 500 also slipped 0.2%. Futures pricing implies almost no chance of a Fed hike at 1800 GMT, but traders, who have begun winding back bets on cuts in 2024 and will be closely focused on the U.S.

Recent data in Europe, such as the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data, shows that the European economy is weakening. In fact, the Eurozone Composite PMI in August reflected the deepest contraction in nearly three years, while nearly every economy in the region reported weaker readings, led by Germany.

With the final quarter of 2023 approaching, one winning strategy in emerging markets is becoming clearer: buying shares in smaller companies.

By Stella Qiu

China’s economic slump due to years of Covid restrictions, a property market crisis, and persistent tensions with the West — concerns that have helped make the “avoid China" theme one of the biggest convictions among investors in Bank of America’s latest survey. Foreign fund participation in the Hong Kong stock market has dropped by more than a third since the end of 2020. “Foreigners are just throwing in the towel," said Zhikai Chen, head of Asia and global EM equities at BNP Paribas Asset Management.

By Stephen Culp

Asian stocks rose strongly on Friday, extending a global equity rally, after better-than-expected Chinese economic data added to the good vibes from expectations that tightening campaigns by the world's biggest central banks were close to over. The dollar stuck close to a six-month peak from overnight against major peers, buoyed by robust U.S. economic data, while the euro sagged following the European Central Bank's signal that Thursday's rate hike was probably the last this cycle. Crude oil hit a fresh 10-month top. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares rallied 0.84%. Japan's Nikkei jumped 1.33% to a two-month high. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.2%, and mainland Chinese blue chips rose 0.2%, flipping from early small losses. Australia's stock benchmark surged 1.75%. U.S.

Asian stocks rose on Thursday, as traders figured a small upside surprise for U.S. inflation was unlikely to push up interest rates and turned their focus to a European Central Bank meeting later in the session. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4% in early trade.

By Amanda Cooper

inflation data on Wednesday, while an oil price spike stoked anxiety about persistent price pressures, complicating the interest rate outlook. The euro edged higher and markets moved to favour a hike from Europe's central bank on Thursday, following a Reuters report that the European Central Bank (ECB) expects inflation will stay above 3% next year in its updated forecasts, well above its target of 2%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat while Tokyo's Nikkei eased 0.2%. Australia's resource-heavy shares lost 0.7%, Chinese blue-chips were flat but Hong Kong's Hang Seng index moved 0.6% higher. At the forefront of markets' minds is the crucial U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report expected on Wednesday, which should shed further light on the inflation outlook and provide some clarity about whether the Federal Reserve is done tightening. While core CPI is seen cooling to 4.3% year-on-year in August from 4.7%, rising energy costs are forecast to keep headline inflation hot.

By Tom Westbrook

traders waiting on U.S. inflation data to signal that interest rates may have peaked. The yen notched its best day against the dollar in two months overnight, after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said policymakers might have enough economic information by year's end to determine that short-term rates will need to rise. The yuan had its best day in six months after authorities vowed to correct one-way moves and Reuters reported the central bank had stepped up scrutiny of dollar buying. Both, however, remain near their weakest levels of the year and with the yuan at 7.3022 per dollar in offshore trade and the yen last a little off Monday highs at 146.68 per dollar. Japanese government bonds remained under pressure on Tuesday, with 10-year JGB yields up 1 basis point to a fresh high of 0.71%. «The result of Ueda's comments was an intense move higher in Japanese swaps and government bond yields,» said Chris Weston, head of research at brokerage Pepperstone in Melbourne. "(It) is certainly constructive for yen longs.

By Stephen Culp

By Jamie McGeever

Nifty managed to close higher for the sixth consecutive session on Friday, September 8, despite a cautious global market. The benchmarks recorded their second straight week of gains and posted their best week since the week ending June 30, gaining nearly 2 per cent, each.

tech shares tumbling on deepening Sino-U.S. tensions, while the dollar was set to seal its longest winning streak in nine years as investors braced for U.S. interest rates to stay higher for longer. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2% in early trade and is down 1.4% for the week.

By Marc Jones