GLOBAL MARKETS-Biden win pumps up risk assets, dollar nurses losses

* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* MSCI ex-Japan jumps to highest since Jan 2018
* E-Mini futures for S&P 500 jump more than 1.5%
* Markets trade on Biden win and Republican senate
* Oil prices top $40 a barrel

By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Shares surged, oil prices jumped
and the dollar stayed weak on Monday as expectations of fewer
regulatory changes and more monetary stimulus under U.S.
president-elect Joe Biden supported risk appetite.
The Democratic candidate's victory at the U.S. Presidential
election was largely priced-in by markets, which had been
trading with the view of a Biden presidency and a
Republican-controlled U.S. Senate since last week.
E-mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 jumped more than 1.5%
on Monday while Nasdaq futures NQc1 rallied over 2%,
signalling a positive start for U.S. markets.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside of
Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS jumped 1.3% to 613.95 points, the highest
since January 2018. It had climbed 6.2% last week to clock its
best weekly performance since early June.
"While lots of attention was given to Trump vs Biden,
markets have reacted strongly to the (likely) split congress,
which means more confidence that interest rates will be lower
for longer," said Dave Wang, portfolio manager at Nuveen Capital
in Singapore.
"The best opportunities now lie within segments of emerging
markets, in particular China and North Asia. I believe earnings
momentum and valuation put China in a very attractive
risk/reward position."
Chinese shares started higher with the blue-chip CSI300
index .CSI300 up 1% on hopes of better Sino-U.S. trade
relations under Biden.
Japan .N225 rose 2% while the main indexes of Australia
.AXJO , Hong Kong .HSI and South Korea .KS11 gained 1.7%
each.
Equities rallied hard last week, with the S&P500 .SPX up
7.3%, clocking the best gains in an election week since 1932,
according to National Australia Bank analyst Tapas Strickland.
Matt Sherwood of Australian fund manager Perpetual, however,
said Biden's victory did not necessarily warrant a tweaking of
his portfolio.
"In the end, we think the U.S. economy is still fairly
fragile and growth's slowing down," Sherwood said.
"You could potentially gravitate your portfolio more towards
higher-beta type markets, such as emerging markets, and there
is potential for better prospects in the energy space than would
have been the case with a Democrat clean sweep."
Oil prices jumped on Monday as investors cheered Biden's
victory, shrugging off worries about lacklustre demand amid
rising global coronavirus cases. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 added $1 to $40.48.
Analysts warned the road might get tougher from here as
investors focus on Biden's ability to expand fiscal stimulus and
measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The United States saw a record number of new coronavirus
infections last week, with the total number of cases nearing 10
million. U.S.-based wealth manager Jim Wilding at Confluence
Financial Partners in Pennsylvania added a word of caution with
the S&P 500 .SPX not far from all-time highs and equity
valuations generally at heady levels.
"While we remain positive over the intermediate term outlook
and believe divided government reduces the chances of a bear
case scenario playing out, we would refrain from unbridled
enthusiasm at current levels," he noted.
A fiscal stimulus plan is still possible despite a divided
government, analysts said, though a larger package is less
likely. That puts the spotlight on the U.S. Federal Reserve to
do more to bolster the world's largest economy.
As a result, the dollar has weakened USD= in recent days
while growth proxies such as the Australian dollar AUD= have
rallied with the Biden presidency seen less likely to be
confrontational on trade.
The dollar was mostly flat against the Japanese yen JPY=
at 103.31, after slipping about 1.3% last week.
The Aussie was up 0.2%, having jumped 3.3% last week.
Investor focus will also be on sterling and the euro this
week with UK-EU trade negotiations coming to a head with the EU
summit on Nov. 15.
Later in the day, the Bank of England chief economist will
give a speech on 'The economic impact of coronavirus and long
term implications for the UK'.
The euro EUR= , which climbed 1.9% last week, was a shade
higher on Monday at $1.1887. Sterling GBP= rose to $1.3183.

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