(Corrects to S&P 500 in headline)
* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Asia markets falter, S&P 500 stock futures off 0.5%
* Unease over record new coronavirus cases in Europe, U.S.
* Eyes this week on central bank meetings, U.S. GDP data
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Asian shares got off to a subdued
start on Monday as surging coronavirus cases in Europe and the
United states threatened the global outlook, while China's
leaders meet to ponder the future of the economic giant.
The United States has seen its highest ever number of new
COVID-19 cases in the past two days, while France also set
unwanted case records and Spain announced a state of emergency.
That combined with no clear progress on a U.S. stimulus
package to pull S&P 500 futures down 0.5% ESc1 . EUROSTOXX 50
futures STXEc1 eased 0.4% and FTSE futures FFIc1 0.3%.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS went flat, still short of its recent 31-month
peak. Japan's Nikkei .N225 dithered either side of steady, and
South Korea's main index lost 0.3% .KS11 .
Chinese blue chips .CSI300 shed 1.1% as the country's
leaders met to chart the nation's economic course for 2021-2025,
balancing growth with reforms amid an uncertain global outlook
and deepening tensions with the United States. A packed week for monetary policy sees three major central
banks hold meetings. The Bank of Canada and Bank of Japan are
expected to hold fire for now, while the market assumes the
European Central Bank will sound cautious on inflation and
growth even if they skip a further easing.
Data due out Thursday is forecast to show U.S. economic
output rebounded by 31.9% in the third quarter, after the
second's quarter's historic collapse, led by consumer spending.
Analysts at Westpac noted that such a bounce would still
leave GDP around 4% lower than at the end of last year, with
business investment still lagging badly.
"To fully recover the activity lost, additional meaningful
fiscal stimulus is a must," they argued in a note.
The U.S. Presidential election will again loom large as
markets move to price in the chance of a Democratic president
and Congress, which would likely lead to more government
spending and borrowing down the road.
That outlook drove U.S. 10-year Treasury yields to their
highest since early June last week at 0.8720% US19YT=RR . They
were trading at 0.83% on Monday.
"We have raised the probability of a Democratic sweep,
already our base case, from 40% to just over 50% and have
increased our expectation of Biden to win from 65% to 75%,"
wrote analysts at NatWest Markets in a note.
"We see steeper U.S. yield curves and a weaker USD as likely
to prevail in our base case."
The dollar was flatlining on Monday, having fallen broadly
last week. The euro was holding at $1.1840 EUR= and just under
its recent top of $1.1880, while the dollar was pinned at 104.80
yen JPY= and not far from last week's trough of 104.32.
The dollar index was a fraction firmer at 92.904 =USD ,
after shedding almost 1% last week.
In commodity markets, gold edged down 0.1% to $1,898 an
ounce XAU= . GOL/
Oil prices fell further in anticipation of a surge in Libyan
crude supply and demand concerns caused by surging coronavirus
cases in the United States and Europe. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 futures lost 65 cents to $41.12 a
barrel, while U.S. crude CLc1 fell 69 cents to $39.16.
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(Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Richard Pullin)