* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Shares mark time in Asia, bonds bounce a little
* Awaiting Trump speech in New York for news on trade
* Reports Trump to delay auto tariffs on EU for 6 months
* Sterling holds gains after Boris gets a Brexit boost
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Asian share markets flatlined on
Tuesday as uncertainty over Sino-U.S. trade talks and political
strife in Hong Kong dogged sentiment, while safe-haven bonds
eked out a bounce.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS edged up a slight 0.04%, following a sharp 1.2%
pullback on Monday.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 dithered either side of flat, while
Shanghai blue chips .CSI300 eased 0.1%. E-Mini futures for the
S&P 500 ESc1 also dipped 0.1%, as did EUROSTOXX 50 futures
STXEc1 .
Caution ruled ahead of a speech by U.S. President Donald
Trump to the Economic Club of New York later in the day in case
there was any new word on the Sino-U.S. Phase one trade deal.
Trump wrongfooted markets over the weekend when he said
there had been incorrect reporting about U.S. willingness to
lift tariffs on China.
On a more positive note, Politico reported Trump would
announce this week that he is delaying a decision on whether to
slap tariffs on imported European Union autos for another six
months. Investors were anxious about the situation in Hong Kong
after a violent escalation of protests knocked nearly 2% off
Asia-exposed banks HSBC HSBA.L and StanChart STAN.L .
Riot police were deployed at metro stations across the
territory and large queues were forming at railway platforms as
commuters struggled to get to work. A partial holiday in the United States closed the Treasury
market on Monday and made for a quiet session on Wall Street.
The Dow .DJI ended up 0.04%, while the S&P 500 .SPX lost
0.20% and the Nasdaq .IXIC 0.13%.
Shares of Boeing Co BA.N jumped 4.5% after saying it
expected U.S. regulators to approve the return to commercial
service of its grounded 737 MAX jet in the coming weeks, and
expects commercial service to resume in January. Treasuries were in demand when trading resumed in Asia, with
yields on 10-year notes US10YT=RR dropping to 1.918% and away
from last week's three-month top of 1.97%.
In currency markets, the main action was in sterling which
hit a six-month high on the euro after the Brexit Party said it
would not contest previously Conservative held seats in the UK
election. In a significant boost for Prime Minister Boris Johnson
ahead of the Dec. 12 election, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage
said he did not want anti-Brexit parties to win, so was standing
down candidates in seats won by the Conservatives in 2017.
The pound reached 0.8582 per euro EURGBP= , and firmed to
$1.2856 GBP= having risen 0.6% overnight.
Against a basket of currencies, the dollar steadied at
98.256 .DXY . The euro edged up to $1.1030 EUR= and away from
a three-week low of $1.1015, while the dollar faded to 109.10
yen JPY= .
Spot gold suffered a third day of declines, to touch its
lowest since early August at $1,447.89 per ounce XAU= . It was
last trading at $1,455.62.
Oil prices edged lower as the lack of progress on U.S.-China
trade negotiations kept prices pressured, though bullish
inventory data offered some support. O/R
U.S. crude CLc1 lost 15 cents to $56.71 a barrel, while
Brent crude LCOc1 futures fell 13 cents to $62.05.
Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
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(Editing by Sam Holmes & Shri Navaratnam)