China stock frenzy gets a wet blanket
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CHINA STOCK FRENZY GETS A WET BLANKET
Investors hoping for a roaring restart to China's stock rally, after the mainland's week-long holiday, were disappointed on Tuesday when Beijing policymakers offered only broad brush strokes about stimulus plans at a high-profile press conference.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it was "fully confident" of meeting its targets but offered none of the details that investors are craving on China's aggressive stimulus measures.
Although the key mainland stock indexes did surge 10% to multi-year highs shortly after the open, those gains were quickly pared back.
In stark contrast to the mainland, shares in Hong Kong showed a sea of red, with the Hang Seng Index .HSI tumbling more than 10% at one point.
Analysts initially attributed the divergence to Chinese stocks playing catch-up, since Hong Kong had surged while the mainland was on holiday, but it was soon clear that the markets were disappointed over the lack of stimulus specifics from Beijing.
That's set up a negative opening for Europe, with stock futures falling in Asia hours.
EUROSTOXX 50 futures STXEc1 slid 0.8%, while FTSE futures FFIc1 retreated 0.5%.
The economic calendar is relatively light for the day, leaving the focus squarely on China, although fears of an escalating conflict in the Middle East and a repricing of Federal Reserve expectations will also remain front of mind for investors.
Oil prices retreated on Tuesday - in part reflecting events in China, although it was also due to a slight step back from a strong rally at the start of the week on developments in the Middle East. Hezbollah fired rockets at Haifa, and Israel looked poised to expand its offensive into Lebanon.
Worries about disruptions to oil supplies have sent Brent LCOc1 and U.S. crude CLc1 futures surging more than 10% for the month so far, and they look unlikely to reverse course anytime soon.
As for the Fed, the market's short-lived conviction that it would stick to a dovish path evaporated after Friday's blockbuster payrolls report. Market pricing now points to just another 50 basis points of rate cuts by December.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield US10YT=RR, reflecting the less aggressive expectations, stayed elevated above 4% on Tuesday, while the two-year yield US2YT=RR hovered near its highest in more than a month.
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
- European Central Bank, Federal Reserve policymakers speak
- Germany industrial output (August)
(Rae Wee)
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Some major events and milestones for U.S. oil prices since 2022 https://reut.rs/3Y05mye
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