GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares stuck in holiday lull, bitcoin powers higher

* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Many bourses shut for Lunar New Year
* Bitcoin sets record on more signs of acceptance
* Weak 30-year Treasury auction pushes up yields

By Stanley White and David Henry
TOKYO/NEW YORK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Asian shares hovered just
below a record high on Friday as mixed U.S. economic data caused
some investors to show restraint after a global stock market
rally pushed many bourses to dizzying heights.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS fell 0.03%, trading just shy of an all-time high
reached in the previous session. Australian stocks .AXJO lost
0.31%. Shares in Tokyo .N225 fell 0.32%, pulling back from
30-year highs.
Futures for the S&P 500 EScv1 were off 0.12%.
Markets in Greater China and most of Southeast Asia are
closed on Friday for the Lunar New Year holiday. China's stock
and bond markets, foreign exchange and commodity futures markets
are closed through Feb. 17 for the holiday.
Bitcoin BTC=BTSP surged yet again to a new record high
after BNY Mellon said it will offer custodian services for
cryptocurrencies. The dollar =USD headed for a weekly loss,
stung by bitcoin's assent and disappointing U.S. economic data.
Trading in the United States and Europe on Thursday did not
move prices enough to provide much direction, said Tom
Piotrowski, a market analyst at CommSec in Sydney.
"We didn't get much of a lead-in from the northern
hemisphere," Piotrowski said. "Markets are in a bit of a holding
pattern waiting for the next catalyst and it is just a question
of whether that catalyst is going to be a positive one or a
negative one."
World stock markets were holding close to record highs on
Thursday as investors weighed some tepid economic data against
increasing vaccinations against COVID-19 and the prospect that
more government spending and continued cheap money from central
banks will drive higher growth and, eventually, inflation.
The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks
shares in 49 countries, fell 0.12% on Friday, also pulling back
from a record high.
On Wall Street, the Nasdaq .IXIC and S&P 500 .SPX eked
out gains of 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively, while the Dow Jones
Industrial Average .DJI slipped 0.02%. Prices held near records as investors bet on more government
spending, although enthusiasm was tempered when U.S. President
Joe Biden said that China was poised to "eat our lunch," raising
fears of renewed strain on Sino-U.S. ties. U.S. weekly unemployment claims fell less than expected and
core consumer prices rose at a slower pace, which caused some
traders to temper the optimism about the economic outlook.
Cryptocurrency bitcoin BTC=BTSP reached a record high of
$49,000 before paring gains to trade up 0.57% at $48,282. BNY
Mellon BK.N said it will form a new unit to help clients hold,
transfer and issue digital assets.
That came just days after Elon Musk's Tesla TSLA.O
revealed it had bought $1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency
and would soon accept it as a form of payment for its cars.

Spot gold XAU= fell 0.22% to $1,821.86 per ounce. U.S.
gold futures GCv1 fell 0.19% to $1,823.30. Gold prices are
still on track for their best week in three amid broad dollar
selling. GOL/
The dollar index =USD drifted 0.02% lower on Friday, on
course for a 0.6% weekly decline. FRX/
Soft demand at an auction of $27 billion of new 30-year
Treasuries on Thursday continued to weigh on prices in Asia on
Friday. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasuries US10YT=RR rose to
1.1632%, while the 30-year yield US30YT=RR edged up to
1.9468%.
Brent crude LCOc1 fell 0.69% to $60.72 a barrel, having
dropped half a percent the previous session. U.S. oil CLc1
fell 0.81% to $57.77 a barrel, after falling by 0.8% on
Thursday.
OPEC cut its demand forecast and the International Energy
Agency said the market was still oversupplied, which cast a
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Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country World Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
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