* European shares sink
* Wall Street futures down 0.85%
* Graphic: Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
* Graphic: World FX rates http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
By Ritvik Carvalho
LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - World shares sank on Monday as
expectations for faster economic growth and inflation battered
bonds and boosted commodities, while rising real yields made
equity valuations look more stretched in comparison.
MSCI's All Country World Index, which tracks shares across
49 countries, was down 0.25% by midday in London.
.MIWD00000PUS
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX was down 0.6%,
hitting its lowest in 10 days. Germany's DAX .GDAXI and
France's CAC 40 .FCHI , and Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE fell
0.5% each. Spain's IBEX 35 index .IBEX and Italy's FTSE MIB
lost 0.6% each. .EU
S&P 500 futures fell to their lowest since Feb. 5, down
0.85% on the day. ESc1 .N
Bonds have been bruised by the prospect of a stronger
economic recovery and greater borrowing as President Joe Biden's
$1.9 trillion stimulus package progresses.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivers his semi-annual
testimony before Congress this week and is likely to reiterate a
commitment to keeping policy super easy for as long as needed to
drive inflation higher.
"The coming week is relatively thin on the international
data agenda, but after the recent rise in long bond yields, Fed
Chairman Powell's hearings in both chambers of Congress (Tuesday
/ Wednesday) will be attracting great interest," said Elisabet
Kopelman, U.S. economist at SEB.
"The fact that the most recent rise in long bond yields has
been driven by higher real interest rates and not just inflation
expectations increases the probability of a dovish message."
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is also
expected to sound dovish in a speech later Monday.
Yields on 10-year Treasury notes have already reached 1.38%
US10YT=RR , breaking the 1.30% level and bringing the rise for
the year so far to a steep 43 basis points.
Analysts at BofA noted 30-year bonds US30YT=RR had
returned -9.4% in the year to date, the worst start since 2013.
"Real assets are outperforming financial assets big in '21
as cyclical, political, secular trends say higher inflation,"
the analysts said in a note. "Surging commodities, energy
laggards in vogue, materials in secular breakouts."
Earlier in Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific
shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 1.18%, after slipping
from a record top last week as the jump in U.S. bond yields
unsettled investors.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 recouped 0.8% and South Korea .KS11
0.1%, but Chinese blue chips .CSI300 lost 1.4%.
A COPPER-PLATED RECOVERY
One of the stars has been copper, a key component of renewable
technology, which shot up 7.7% last week to a nine-year peak.
The broader LMEX base metal index climbed 5.5% on the week.
Oil prices have gone along for the ride, aided by tightening
supplies and freezing weather, giving Brent gains of 22% for the
year so far. O/R
On Monday, Brent crude LCOc1 futures were up 0.7% at
$63.33 a barrel. U.S. crude CLc1 added 0.7% to $59.65.
All of that has been a boon for commodity-linked currencies,
with the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars all higher
for the year so far.
Sterling reached a three-year top of $1.4050 GBP= , aided
by one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world. England
will ease lockdown restrictions in five-week intervals, Sky News
reported on Monday, hours before Prime Minister Boris Johnson is
due to announce details of his roadmap for re-opening the
country. The U.S. dollar index has been relatively range-bound, with
downward pressure from the country's expanding twin deficits
balanced by higher bond yields. The index was last at 90.342
=USD , not far from where it started the year at 90.260.
Rising Treasury yields has helped the dollar gain against
the yen to 105.60 JPY= , given the Bank of Japan is actively
restraining yields at home.
The euro was steady at $1.2135 EUR= , corralled between
support at $1.2021 and resistance around $1.2169.
One commodity not doing so well is gold, partly due to
rising bond yields and partly as investors question if crypto
currencies might be a better hedge against inflation. GOL/
Gold stood at $1,795 an ounce =XAU , having started the
year at $1,896. Bitcoin BTC=BTSP was off 5.8% on Monday at
$54,127, off a record high of $58,354.
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Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
Global asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
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