* Dollar slipping and stocks on the march
* MSCI AxJ +1%, Nikkei +1.7%, Hang Seng +2.2%
* U.S.-China trade talks eyed
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Tom Westbrook and Lawrence Delevingne
SINGAPORE/BOSTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Asian stock markets
rose on Tuesday on relief that another round of Sino-U.S.
sparring appears not to have spilled over into trade, while
hopes for U.S. stimulus lent support to oil and commodity
currencies.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was last up 1%. Japan's Nikkei .N225 returned
from a holiday with a 1.7% gain led by healthcare and industrial
stocks and the Hang Seng .HSI bounced 2.2%.
The risk-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars each
lifted about 0.3%, although they sit comfortably below recent
milestone peaks as some trepidation muted their rise. AUD/
Investors are awaiting a meeting between top U.S. and
Chinese trade officials on Saturday to review the first six
months of the Phase 1 trade deal.
With China lagging far behind on energy and farm goods
purchases from the United States, it could test markets'
assumption that the trade relationship is insulated from
crumbling diplomatic ties between the two nations. Yet there was palpable relief on Tuesday that China's
sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens - a response to U.S. sanctions on
Chinese individuals over Beijing's crackdown in Hong Kong -
seemed to shut off the latest round of tit-for-tat moves.
"It has left the White House untouched," said Vishnu
Varathan, head of economics at Mizuho Bank in Singapore.
"That gives some relief that China is still giving some
priority to the (trade deal) dialogue," he said. "It's just the
sense that you're not rocking the boat to the point of
capsizing, that is the low bar today."
Safe havens were under gentle pressure across the board.
Gold XAU= slipped about 0.6% to $2,015 an ounce and the U.S.
bond market extended a recent selloff, with the yield on
benchmark 10-year Treasuries US10YT=RR at a two-week high of
0.5870%.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
Overnight Wall Street found some support after Trump signed
executive orders to partly restore unemployment benefits after
talks between the White House and top Democrats about fresh
stimulus broke down last week. The Dow .DJI rose 1% and the S&P 500 .SPX inched ahead,
while the Nasdaq .IXIC sold off a little as investors trimmed
some tech holdings in favour of value stocks. The S&P 500 now sits less than 1% below a record high hit in
February, while in Asia the MSCI ex-Japan index is within 2% of
a January all-time peak.
The moves have pushed valuations in Asia to precipitous
highs, about 20% above post financial crisis averages. But
Nomura's Jim McCafferty in Hong Kong said the lofty levels are
justified by an enormous shift in investor preferences.
"The composition of stock market indices across the region
has dramatically changed," he said. "Oil, telcos and banks used
to dominate ... now it is internet and tech."
S&P 500 futures ESc1 rose 0.3% and oil traded firmly on
hopes that a U.S. stimulus deal may yet be struck and
anticipation of rising demand in Asia. O/R
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were last up 0.4% at $45.16 a
barrel and U.S. crude CLc1 rose 0.6% to $42.18.
Besides the Aussie and Kiwi, other major currencies made
very marginal gains on the dollar while the yen inched lower.
The euro EUR=EBS last bought $1.1746 and the yen JPY=
traded at 106.02 per dollar. FRX/
Chinese credit figures are due this week, while British
labour data and a German sentiment survey due at 0830 GMT and
0900 GMT respectively will provide the latest reading on
Europe's recovery.
Investors are expecting British unemployment to have hit
4.2% in June and German economic sentiment to hold broadly
steady.
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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 Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
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