GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia shares edge ahead, eyes on BOJ easing

* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Nikkei opens firmer on talk to BOJ to ramp up stimulus
* Fed and ECB to meet later in week
* Raft of major U.S. corporate earnings due this week

By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, April 27 (Reuters) - Asian shares inched higher on
Monday ahead of a busy week for earnings and central bank
meetings, with much chatter the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will
announce more stimulus steps.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.1% in early trade, having shed 2.6% last
week. Japan's Nikkei .N225 gained 1.1%, while E-Mini futures
for the S&P 500 ESc1 dipped 0.4%.
There is considerable speculation the BOJ will pledge to buy
unlimited amounts of government bonds, removing the current
target of 80 trillion yen per year, even though it has not been
near reaching it.
It is also expected to raise purchases of corporate and
commercial debt, and perhaps launch a new loan programme to help
companies struggling with cash flow.
The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank meet later
in the week, with the latter likely to do more.
"For the Fed, no further developments on QE or interest
rates are expected, but we expect it to underline that its
policies will be in place indefinitely to support the economy,"
wrote analysts at ANZ in a note.
"We expect the ECB to raise the size of its emergency bond
buying package (PEPP) by around 500 billion euros to 1.250
trillion and to continue pressing for a sizeable fiscal
stimulus."
On the data front, the United States and European Union
release GDP for the first quarter and the influential U.S. ISM
survey on manufacturing.
Earnings season will be in full swing with around 173
companies in the S&P 500 reporting this week, including Apple,
Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Ford, GE and Chevron.
Analysts expect a 15% decline in S&P 500 first-quarter
earnings, with profits for the energy sector estimated to slump
more than 60%, raising fears of debt defaults, layoffs and
possible bankruptcies. Bond markets remain well supported by the truly massive
easing under way from major central banks, which have seen U.S.
10-year yields US10YT=RR trade around 0.6% for a week or more.
The dollar has been generally bid thanks to its safe haven
status as the world's most liquid currency at times of stress,
though moves have been relatively mild in recent weeks.
The dollar index touched a three-week high at 100.860 on
Friday before easing back to 100.250 on Monday =USD .
The euro was steady at $1.0816 EUR= , having hit a
one-month low of $1.0725 on Friday, while the dollar was flat on
the yen at 107.44 JPY= . USD/
Gold held at $1,723 per ounce XAU= , after gaining 2.5%
last week. GOL/
Oil prices looked set for another volatile week, having
fallen in eight of the last nine weeks. U.S. crude even traded
below zero last week as demand collapsed 30% due to the
pandemic, leaving more oil than could be stored. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 futures firmed 45 cents to $21.89 a
barrel, while U.S. crude CLc1 fell 52 cents to $16.42. O/R

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