* MSCI AxJ index up 0.3%, Nikkei +0.1%
* Currencies becalmed, yen at one-week high
* Fed statement due 1800 GMT
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE, June 10 (Reuters) - Asia's stock markets edged up
to a fresh three-month high on Wednesday, with the dollar again
under pressure but sentiment was largely cautious ahead of the
U.S. Federal Reserve's next move.
The inch higher in equities follows two weeks of strong
gains, turbocharged by Friday's data showing a completely
unexpected rise in U.S. employment last month. Support for safe
haves from gold to the yen, though, pointed to growing caution.
European stock futures fought for headway, with FTSE futures
FFIc1 up 0.4% and EuroSTOXX 50 futures STXEc1 up by half a
percent. U.S. stock futures ESc1 rose 0.6%.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS , which has galloped 9% higher in June and is 35%
above March lows, rose 0.5%. Japan's Nikkei .N225 rose 0.3%.
"The Fed tonight is a key variable in determining whether
this is a pit-stop or U-turn," said Vishnu Varathan, head of
economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank in Singapore.
No action is expected, but any hint of taking the foot off
the pedal could hammer risk sentiment and lift the dollar, while
more dovishness could have the opposite effect.
Focus is on the Fed's economic outlook and whether a
steepening of the U.S. yield curve during last week's bond
market selloff might prompt intervention at longer tenors.
"Markets continue to expect a lot from the Fed because the
Fed has continued to deliver tremendous amounts of support in
the form of liquidity," said Jason Brady, chief executive
officer at fund manager Thornburg Investment Management.
"Over the last decade or so, every time, the Fed has tried
to resist the markets, by suggesting that they'll be less
accommodative, they've ultimately ended up caving," he said,
adding he expects some form of yield curve control.
A statement from the Fed is due at 1800 GMT followed by a
news conference half an hour later.
Benchmark stock indexes in Australia .AXJO , Hong Kong
.HSI and South Korea .KS11 more or less idled. U.S. 10-year
yields US10YT=RR held at 0.8271%, 13.2 basis points below a
Friday peak of 0.9590%. US/
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Investors are closely watching how the Fed takes last week's
surprisingly positive jobs figures and are hoping the central
bank does not ignore the woeful data that markets have mostly
shrugged off for weeks.
"(Fed) members have probably slept better in recent days,
but they know the economy is a long way from where it was before
the pandemic," said Radhika Rao and Philip Wee, analysts at
Singapore's DBS Bank in a note on Wednesday.
"That's what the fear-of-missing-out and
there-is-no-alternative investors need to remind themselves
too."
The latest reminders include the sharpest slump in China's
producer prices in four years - pointing to flagging global
demand - and a collapse in German exports and imports.
Currency markets turned more optimistic late in Asian trade,
with the risk-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars
heading for another attempt on major resistance levels.
The Aussie AUD=D3 last sat at $0.6995, about 0.7% below an
11-month high of $0.7043 hit a day earlier, while the kiwi
NZD=D3 rose 0.6% to $0.6549. The yen JPY= hit a week-high at
107.53 per dollar, reflecting caution.
Gold was firm at $1,716.90 per ounce. GOL/
Oil prices were on the back foot on renewed concerns about
oversupply and underlying economic weakness. Brent crude LCOc1
was last down 1% for the session at $40.67 per barrel and U.S
crude CLc1 was 1.6% weaker at $38.30 a barrel. O/R
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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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