Asia FX dithers as dollar steadies before Powell speech; yen muted after CPI data
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* MSCI ex-Japan rallies on Tuesday, Nikkei jumps too
* Signs of peaking in coronavirus outbreak helping sentiment
* Chinese trade data better than feared
* Confidence tempered by fears of global recession
By Swati Pandey and Koh Gui Qing
SYDNEY/NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Asian stocks extended
gains on Tuesday after China's trade data came in better than
expected and as some countries tried to restart their economy by
partly lifting restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus
outbreak.
Analysts said some of the tail risks that had threatened a
much deeper and prolonged downturn were starting to dissipate
thanks to a slowdown in new coronavirus cases in major economies
and a raft of monetary and fiscal stimulus globally.
Also boosting sentiment was data showing China's exports in
March fell only 6.6% from the same period a year earlier, a
smaller drop than the expected 14% plunge. Imports eased a
modest 0.9% compared with expectations for a 9.5% drop.
Chinese shares strengthened on Tuesday with the blue-chip
index .CSI300 up 0.9%. Australian shares .AXJO were up 1.1%
while Japan's Nikkei .N225 gained 2.2%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI rose 0.6%.
That left MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares
excluding Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rallying over 1%.
E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 jumped 1.2%
It was still too soon to say the worst was over for
financial markets.
"While a couple of tail risks appear to be moderating,
markets are not out of danger as the impending activity and
earnings growth hole in the global economy appears to be larger
than we first thought," Perpetual analyst Matthew Sherwood wrote
in a note.
"In the absence of COVID-19 vaccine we seriously question
how much of the economy can re-open without threatening
flare-ups in virus case numbers."
In Europe, thousands of shops across Austria were set to
reopen on Tuesday while Spain let some businesses get back to
work on Monday though shops, bars and public spaces were set to
stay closed until at least April 26.
In the United States, which has recorded the highest number
of casualties from the virus in the world, President Donald
Trump said on Monday his administration was close to completing
a plan to re-open the U.S. economy.
However, some state governors have signalled that the
decision on when to restart businesses lay with them.
Wall Street indexes ended mixed on Monday with the Dow and
S&P 500 falling while a 6.2% gain in Amazon shares helped the
Nasdaq end higher. Elsewhere, Britain's finance minister told colleagues the UK
economy could shrink by up to 30% this quarter due to the
coronavirus lockdown that has shuttered businesses. In a sign of worries about struggling global demand, oil
prices barely reacted to a global deal to cut output by a record
amount of nearly 10% of world supply. U.S. crude
CLc1 was up just 27 cents at $22.68, well under its January
peak of $63.27.
Brent crude LCOc1 gained 51 cents to $32.25 a barrel.
Skittish market sentiment helped gold prices XAU= cling to
highs not seen in more than seven years at $1,720.1 an ounce.
In currencies, the dollar continued to extend losses on the
back of the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive new lending
programme. The greenback was a touch weaker against the Japanese
yen JPY= at 107.62. The euro EUR= was up 0.3% at $1.0945.
The risk-sensitive Australian dollar AUD=D3 jumped 0.6% to
$0.6420.
(Editing by Sam Holmes)