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GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks, commodities firmer as China works to cool virus worries

Published 04/02/2020, 14:49
Updated 04/02/2020, 14:54
© Reuters.  GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks, commodities firmer as China works to cool virus worries
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* World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

* European stocks bounce, Wall St points to positive start

* Coronavirus spreads, death toll rises to 427

* Commodities steady amid worries about China demand

* Key metals set for best day of year so far

By Marc Jones

LONDON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - World markets bounced on Tuesday,

with Chinese stocks reversing some of a previous

coronavirus-related plunge amid official efforts to soothe

nerves and both Europe and metals scoring their best day of the

year so far.

Though sentiment remained fragile with the virus still

spreading and oil slumped near 13-month lows, dealers seemed to

have rationalised the worst of their worries.

MSCI's main world index .MIWD00000PUS jumped 0.5% led by

the biggest leap in commodity-focused stocks in over three

months and some strong rebounds from Shanghai, South Korea

.KS11 and Australia .AXJO overnight.

Wall Street futures were up over 1% .N and from Europe

there was a 1.5% surge from London's heavyweight FTSE as it

enjoyed both the mining rally and a weak pound caused by renewed

worries about Britain's post-Brexit trade relations with the EU.

.FTSE .EU

China's markets had steadied in choppy trade after anxiety

over the virus erased some $400 billion in market value from

Shanghai's benchmark index on Monday when it reopened following

the extended Lunar New Year holiday.

The Shanghai Composite .SSEC closed up 1.3%, while the

blue-chip CSI300 .CSI300 rebounded 2.6% after a near 8% slide

on Monday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HIS advanced 1.2%. .SS

Despite the relative market calm on Tuesday, the outbreak

continued to generate unnerving headlines with Hong Kong

reporting its first coronavirus death - the second fatality

outside mainland China - as the overall death toll reached 427.

"At the start to the week there was a fear that when China

reopened there would be further disruption to the markets ...

(but) investors are tentatively going back into risk," said MUFG

strategist Lee Hardman.

In an effort to stop the plunge, China's state-backed

Securities Times published an op-ed on Tuesday to call on

investors not to panic. That followed moves by China's securities regulator on

Monday to limit short selling and stop mutual fund managers

selling shares unless they face investor redemptions, according

to Reuters. China's central bank has flooded the economy with cash while

trimming some lending rates, but analysts suspect more will be

needed to offset economic fallout from the virus. "Given the extent of the shutdowns in China as well as the

rapid rise in the virus that is likely to continue through March

or April, a significant hit to China and regional growth is very

likely," said JPMorgan economist Joseph Lupton.

"We would assume that in addition to bridging any funding

stresses, fiscal policies will need to be ramped up to support

growth once the contagion gets under control."

WALL STREET BOUNCE

U.S. markets were expected to follow suit, with major stock

futures trading up around 1.2% .N even after disappointing

earnings results from Google parent Alphabet GOOGL.O .

Wall Street had taken comfort on Monday from a surprisingly

solid reading of U.S. manufacturing with the Dow .DJI ending

Monday with a rise of 0.5%, while the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.7%

and the Nasdaq .IXIC 1.3%. .N

"This is just a typical reversal after a big fall. Vague

concerns about (the) ...virus are still weighing on U.S.

stocks," said Masanari Takada, cross asset strategist at Nomura

Securities in Tokyo.

U.S. factory activity rebounded in January after contracting

for five straight months amid a surge in new orders, offering

hope that a prolonged slump in business investment has probably

bottomed out. The upbeat report nudged Treasury yields up from deep lows

and gave the U.S. dollar a modest lift.

It firmed to all the way to 109.10 yen JPY= from an

overnight low of 108.30, while the euro faded a fraction to

$1.1050 EUR= but remained well within recent snug ranges.

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar bounced back to

97.908 =USD from a trough of 97.406.

China's yuan gained 0.3% in international markets to 6.9935

yuan per dollar CNH= , in line with rebounds in Chinese shares

and holding above its one-month low of 7.0230 per dollar hit in

European trade on Monday.

The Aussie dollar rose 0.4% to $0.6718 AUD=D4 , pulling

away from the 10-1/2-year low of $0.6670 touched in October,

after the Reserve Bank of Australia kept its main cash rate at a

record low of 0.75%. Sterling was a touch firmer at $1.3015 GBP=D4 , having lost

1.5% on Monday when UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out

tough terms for talks with the European Union, rekindling fears

Britain would reach the end of an 11-month Brexit transition

period without agreeing a trade deal. STEADY

In the commodity markets, oil futures staged a modest

rebound, one day after slumping to the lowest in more than a

year on worries about the impact of the coronavirus on demand.

Brent crude LCOc1 added 1.3% to $55.18 a barrel, while

U.S. crude CLc1 gained 1.8% to $51.03.

A swath of commodities from copper to iron ore joined oil's

bounce having also been hammered by fears the drag on Chinese

industry and travel would sharply curb demand for fuel and

resources.

Copper CMCU3 which is used as a gauge of global economic

health but in particular China's, traded up 2.6% at $5,666 a

tonne in London official rings. It was its biggest surge of the

year having dropped nearly 13% since Jan. 16. MET/L

The Dalian Commodity Exchange's most-traded iron ore futures

contract DCIOcv1 , expiring in May, steadied too, having

slumped as much as 6.1% to 569.50 yuan ($81.12) a tonne on

Monday. Spot gold was off at $1,564 per ounce XAU= , from a top of

$1.591.46, as the dollar firmed and safe haven demand waned a

little. GOL/ That fading safe-haven bid also nudged bond

prices lower.

Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA

Oil, copper, Chinese stocks performance since virus outbreak

https://tmsnrt.rs/37RShMa

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