Asian currencies tepid, stocks higher ahead of Powell's testimony
Indonesia stocks at highest since May 28
Indonesian rupiah falls after four straight sessions of gains
Malaysia and South Korea policy decisions on Thursday
Updates at 0710 GMT
By Ayushman Ojha
July 9 (Reuters) -Asian currencies were subdued on Tuesdaywhile regional stocks ticked up, as investors globally awaitedcomments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to assess the prospectsof a rate cut in September.
Powell is scheduled to deliver his semi-annual monetary policy testimony before Congress at 1400 GMT.Investors are hopingfor dovish comments that will cement their bets on interest rate cuts this year, giving a fresh leg up to riskier assets and economies.
Despite a softer U.S. dollar, the Indonesian rupiah IDR= was down as much as 0.4% after four consecutive sessions of gains, while the Taiwanese dollar TWD=TP lost 0.2%.
The Thai baht THB=TH, andthe Singapore dollar SGD= were largely flat.
The South Korean won KRW=KFTC edged 0.1% higher andthe Malaysian ringgit MYR= was unchanged.Interest rate decisions from both countries are due on Thursday, where expectations are of a hold for now.
Both theBank Negara Malaysia and theBank of Korea are expected to keep their key policy rates on hold, according to Reuters polls.
"Currency weakness will remain the key constraint for these central banks in thinking about cutting interest rates ahead of the Fed," said Lloyd Chan, senior currency analyst at MUFG Bank.
The Philippine central bank has more scope to cut interest rates at its next meeting in August after annual inflation slowed in June, its Governor Eli Remolona said. The Philippine peso PHP= was 0.2% higher.
The U.S. consumer price data on Thursday will also be crucial in gauging the Fed's monetary policy path. Markets are now pricing in an 80% chance of a cut in September, up from 64% last week after recent data signalled a cooling economy. FEDWATCH
Indonesian shares .JKSE rose as much as 0.7%to their highest level since May 28, while Singapore stocks .STI gained 0.5%,still hovering near their record high touched last week.
The rally in Singapore shares is being driven by local bank stocks hitting record highs due to investor optimism about dividend payouts and higher-for-longer interest rates in the U.S. and Singapore, MUFG's Chan added.
Shares in Kuala Lumpur .KLSE gained as much as 0.4%, and Taiwan stocks .TWII rose 0.1% to a record high, while Thai stocks .SETI fell 0.3%, bucking the trend.
Markets are also awaiting China's inflation data on Wednesday and advancegross domestic product estimates from Singapore on Friday.
HIGHLIGHTS:
** Thailand central bank head says stronger growth needed
** Indonesia sees 2024 budget deficit at 2.7% of GDP, finance minister says
Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0710 GMT | ||||||
COUNTRY | FX RIC | FX DAILY % | FX YTD % | INDEX | STOCKS DAILY % | STOCKS YTD % |
Japan | JPY= | +0.04 | -12.24 | .N225 | 1.96 | 24.25 |
China | CNY=CFXS | -0.05 | -2.39 | .SSEC | 1.19 | -0.60 |
India | INR=IN | +0.02 | -0.32 | .NSEI | 0.31 | 12.27 |
Indonesia | IDR= | -0.12 | -5.38 | .JKSE | 0.58 | 0.28 |
Malaysia | MYR= | -0.02 | -2.51 | .KLSE | 0.21 | 10.98 |
Philippines | PHP= | +0.17 | -5.22 | .PSI | 0.42 | 1.65 |
S.Korea | KRW=KFTC | +0.09 | -6.79 | .KS11 | 0.34 | 7.99 |
Singapore | SGD= | +0.03 | -2.24 | .STI | 0.47 | 5.56 |
Taiwan | TWD=TP | -0.24 | -5.64 | .TWII | 0.09 | 33.29 |
Thailand | THB=TH | +0.00 | -6.11 | .SETI | -0.18 | -6.76 |
Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
Asian stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Reporting by Ayushman Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill and Eileen Soreng
āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ
āĻ¸āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻŦāĻ°
āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ: XM Group āĻāĻ° āĻ¸āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻž āĻā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĻā§ā§, āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¯āĻŽā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ˛āĻŦā§āĻ§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ/āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻŽāĻ¤āĻŋ āĻĻā§ā§ āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸āĻžāĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖā§āĻ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŦāĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§ā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻā§āĻŋāĻ¤: (i) āĻļāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦāĻ˛ā§; (ii) āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻž; āĻāĻŦāĻ (iii) āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻš āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻˇāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ¸āĻā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§, āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻā§ā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻ˛ā§āĻ¨āĻĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ§ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻ§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¯ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āĨ¤
āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻļāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¸āĻāĻ˛ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻˇāĻžāĻāĻ¤/āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻ āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ, āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻ° āĻŦāĻž āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋāĻļ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ - āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¯ā§āĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĄ; āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻĒāĻāĻ°āĻŖā§ āĻ˛ā§āĻ¨āĻĻā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦ, āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ§; āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§, āĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻžāĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻŋ XM āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻŽāĻ¤āĻžāĻŽāĻ¤, āĻ¸āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻĻ, āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻ˛ā§āĻˇāĻŖ, āĻĻāĻžāĻŽ, āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻž āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ° āĻ˛āĻŋāĻāĻ āĻā§āĻ˛ā§ "āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨-āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§" āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻ°āĻŦāĻ°āĻžāĻš āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŽāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻˇā§āĻ¯ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļ āĻāĻ āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻšāĻ˛ā§, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¯ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻžāĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¨āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĄāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¤āĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¸āĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¨āĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¸āĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ§ā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāĻŖāĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻš āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ -āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻ¸āĻāĻā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻĒā§āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻā§āĻ¨āĨ¤ āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻ¤ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻž, āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻ¯ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĨ¤