Euro weakens on profit-taking, Asian stocks flat

the day, while stocks in Asia ex-Japan remained flat, with investors unconvinced that China’s latest moves to cool its economy would hurt the global recovery.
A raft of news about Europe’s tenuous debt situation, including Finland’s anti-euro party making big gains in a parliamentary election on Sunday and talk of a Greek debt restructuring, gave cover to traders hoping to take profits after the euro rose above US$1,4500.
“This probably mostly has to do with market sentiment. In the end, I think what it probably boils down to is that there are still some long positions in the euro,” said Koji Fukaya, director of global foreign exchange research for Credit Suisse Securities in Tokyo, referring to the euro’s drop.
But the common currency is expected to be supported by prospects of another interest rate hike after the recent quarter point increase, as data showed eurozone inflation climbed higher than expected in March.
In contrast, the Fed is expected to continue with its ultra easy policy stance, encouraging investors to search for high-yielding currencies, especially in Asia, where authorities are still battling inflationary pressures.
China on Sunday raised banks’ reserve requirements for the fourth time this year.
The move was not a surprise as market players had predicted more tightening after last week’s data showed an acceleration in inflation.
Beijing’s latest policy action is a sign that authorities across the region are intensifying their battle, using interest rate increases and strengthening currencies, to rein in imported inflation due to rising commodity prices.
Singapore sanctioned an increase in the value of its currency last week while the Bank of Thailand is likely to raise interest rates at a review on Wednesday.
In a sign that Beijing’s latest action was well anticipated, both Chinese and Hong Kong stocks were trading higher on the day after opening lower.
Shanghai has been the best performing stock market so far this year with gains of about 9 percent as authorities have repeatedly raised reserve requirements and increased rates.
In contrast, India’s troubles in tackling inflation have seen that market decline by 4,5 percent on a year-to-date basis.
Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei dipped, weighed by declines in telecommunications shares.
Outside Japan, MSCI’s index of Asia Pacific shares remained mostly flat. Korean shares hit another record high before ending lower.
With stronger currencies being used as a weapon to tackle inflation, investors are adding exposure to the Chinese yuan and the Singapore dollar and have turned bullish on the South Korean won’s outlook .
PIMCO, the world’s biggest bond fund manager, said the yuan and the won are “fundamentally undervalued”.
In commodities, gold rose to yet another record high, building on four consecutive weeks of gains, powered by rising inflation pressures and a weakening dollar. Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose too.
London copper prices dropped half a percent while Shanghai copper prices also dipped slightly after Beijing’s latest round of tightening before drifting higher.
“LME prices are basically still in their rangebound trading pattern and that will continue this week,” said Judy Zhu, a commodity analyst at Standard Chartered Bank.
US crude futures slipped below US$109 a barrel as traders took profits after three days of gains despite a crude oil production cut by Saudi Arabia. Prices have retreated slightly after hitting a 2-1/2 year peak of US$113,46 earlier this month.
Notwithstanding the commodities rally, US Treasury yields declined as recent data showed underlying US inflation pressures remained subdued. Ten-year yields edged a basis point lower to 3,40 percent after falling nine basis points on Friday. – Reuters.