GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares under pressure on rising coronavirus cases

* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Asian shares were on the
defensive on Monday as rising COVID-19 cases and doubts over the
ability of vaccine makers to supply the promised doses on time
soured risk appetite.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was barely changed at 718.72.
The benchmark is below the record high of 727.31 touched
last week but up 8.5% so far in January, on track for its fourth
straight monthly rise.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 fell 0.1%.
Australian shares .AXJO were higher after the country's
drug regulator approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
with authorities saying a phased rollout will begin late next
month.
Global COVID-19 cases are inching towards 100 million with
more than 2 million dead, though financial markets have been
buoyant on hopes of a vaccine and a quick economic revival.
However, "there was one negative COVID-19 news story after
another on Friday and which equity investors ultimately couldn't
ignore," said Ray Attrill, head of forex strategy at National
Australia Bank.
Hong Kong locked down an area of the Kowloon peninsula on
Saturday, the first such measure the city has taken since the
pandemic began while some countries including Mexico recorded
their highest daily case numbers.
Reports the new UK COVID variant was not only highly
infectious but perhaps more deadly than the original strain also
added to worries. In the European Union, political leaders expressed
widespread dismay over a hold-up by AstraZeneca AZN.L and
Pfizer Inc PFE.N in delivering promised doses, with Italy's
prime minister lashing out at the vaccine suppliers, saying
delays amounted to a serious breach of contractual obligations.
Pfizer, last week, said it was temporarily slowing supplies
to Europe to make manufacturing changes that would boost output.
On Friday, AstraZeneca said that initial deliveries to the
region will fall short because of a production glitch.
Investors did see some hope in the United States after
lawmakers agreed on Sunday that the most important priority
should be producing and efficiently distributing a vaccine.
The Democrats and Republicans are discussing a new $1.9
trillion in U.S. coronavirus relief.
Financial markets have been eyeing a massive U.S. economic
stimulus though disagreements have meant months of indecision in
a country suffering more than 175,000 COVID-19 cases a day with
millions out of work.
On Friday, the Dow .DJI fell 0.57%, the S&P 500 .SPX
lost 0.30% and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 0.09%. The
three main U.S. indexes closed higher for the week, with the
Nasdaq up over 4%.
Jefferies analysts said U.S. stock markets looked overvalued
though they still remained bullish.
"For the stock market to have a real nasty unwind, rather
than just a bull market correction, there needs to be a
catalyst," analyst Christopher Wood said.
"That means either an economic downturn or a material
tightening in Fed policy," Wood said, adding neither was likely
to occur in a hurry.
In currencies, major pairs were trapped in a range as
markets awaited a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.
The dollar index =USD was flat at 90.21, with the euro
EUR= at $1.2169, while sterling GBP= was last trading at
$1.3683.
The Japanese yen JPY= was unchanged at 103.77 per dollar.
Souring risk sentiment saw Treasury yields move lower on
Friday ahead of some record-sized bond auctions and the Fed
meeting.
In commodities, oil prices fell with Brent LCOc1 down 7
cents at $55.34 a barrel and U.S. crude CLc1 off 5 cents at
$52.22.
Gold was higher with spot prices XAU= up 0.2% at 1,855.9
an ounce.

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(Editing by Sam Holmes)