* Hubei province reports 14,840 new cases vs 2,015 on Feb.
* U.S. stock futures slip, dollar/yen soft
* Nikkei down 0.2% in early trade
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Asian stock markets wobbled on
Thursday while safe-havens such as the yen, gold and bonds rose
as the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths in the
outbreak's epicentre jumped.
China's Hubei province, where the virus is believed to have
originated, reported 242 new deaths, double the previous day's
toll, and confirmed 14,840 new cases on Feb. 12. The rise in the number of cases, which came as officials
adopted a new methodology for counting infections, is a
sevenfold increase from a day earlier.
It was not immediately clear how the new methods affected
the results, nor why the death toll rose so sharply, but it
seemed to dash hopes that the virus' spread might be slowing.
E-mini S&P 500 futures turned from positive to fall 0.3%
ESc1 . Dow Jones futures fell by the same margin YMc1 ,
suggesting a pause in Wall Street's strong rally.
Ten-year U.S. Treasuries fell about 3 basis points to 1.607%
US10YT=RR , the yen strengthened past 110 per dollar JPY= and
a rally in Asian currencies against the dollar halted.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was steady in morning trade but the news knocked
the week's momentum from stock markets.
"The slowdown (in cases) was the key driver of the rally in
growth-exposed assets," said Michael McCarthy, chief strategist
at CMC Markets in Sydney.
"A lot of people leapt to the conclusion that we might have
seen a peak...the reversal of what appeared to be good news is
enough to have people scrambling for the exits."
Japan's Nikkei .N225 was flat while Australia's ASX/S&P
200 index .AXJO retreated from a record high. The Shanghai
Composite .SSEC and Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI wavered
either side of unchanged.
Gold rose 0.3% XAU= to $1570.12 per ounce.
MORE FORECASTS CUT
Overnight, markets had taken comfort from the World Health
Organisation's (WHO) emergency programme head describing the
apparent slowdown in the epidemic's spread as "very reassuring."
Yet WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had also warned
that it should be viewed with extreme caution. "This outbreak
could still go in any direction," he said. More than 1,300 people have died from the epidemic in China
and the total number of cases in Hubei province now stands at
48,206.
Even before the rise in cases, economists were turning more
bearish on the likely hit to China's growth as factories idle
and supply chains are upended.
Citi on Wednesday again downgraded its 2020 GDP forecast for
China to 5.3%. The bank had forecast it to be 5.8% in its
January outlook, before cutting it to 5.5% two weeks ago.
Morgan Stanley believes a gradual, rather than sharp
recovery is the most likely scenario. That all bodes ill for
regional economies and has weighed on Asian currencies and
commodities.
The Australian dollar AUD=D3 , a liquid proxy for China's
economic health because of Australia's export exposure, retraced
its recent rally and traded 0.2% softer at $0.6725. FRX/
China's yuan was 0.1% weaker CNY= . CNY/
Rallying oil prices paused, with Brent crude LCOc1 up 15
cents to $55.94 per barrel, 15% below where it was before the
coronavirus outbreak.
(Editing by Sam Holmes)