With the exception of the Hang Seng (+1.4%) it was a relatively quiet day in Asia having digested the BOE move and anticipation of US NFP’s data and ahead of the weekend. Late in US trading futures have responded to the global stock rally (as a result of the US numbers) and are currently trading […]

A bounce late in the US saw overnight gains for the Nikkei (1%+) with the Hang Seng and Shanghai. All pretty much well behaved for thin summer trading and it was we were looking forward to both the Bank of England and tomorrow Non-Farms report. Many dealers pointed to the turnaround for the price of oil but […]

  Japan remains unloved opening down 1% and then drifting even lower as exporters led the way. The JPY has seen the safety bid for the majority of the week whilst the Nikkei has lost around 4% so far. Finally we saw a little support return for JGB’s since the news but then they have seen yields rising (or I […]

$278bn and the market is still disappointed! Despite the package provided by the Japanese government today late futures trading has followed the weaker cash market and extended losses by another 2%. Confidence is slightly dented as the market was hoping we would see the helicopter approach and that is why the market continued to sink […]

The head of the national conservative Polish ruling party PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has called on Germany to be fair and cooperative with its neighbors. He has said that while all Europe speaks of a German leadership within the EU, he said that Germany is not the United States and “does not come close to the former […]

Other than individual bank stocks, Friday’s EBA report had little overall effect on core markets as we heard nothing that we were not already familiar with. The Nikkei opened around 1% lower and then spent the rest of the day trying to recoup opening losses, which was pretty similar to the Hang Seng. Shanghai, on […]

All eyes were on the BOJ, and even though they disappointed many, after a turbulent trading session the Nikkei index closed higher. No easing, no additions to the money base, no further purchases of JGB’s, commercial paper or REIT’s but they did almost double the ETF purchase programme from JPY 3.3tln to 6tln. Stocks did not know what […]

As we enter the BOJ meeting, messages are very mixed. Many are hoping the package exceeds expectation JPY 28tln ($266bn) whilst others, anxious the BOJ may shoot too soon, possibly more easing at a time when they feel it will not work; so Asia could be interesting tomorrow. Today the Nikkei lost some of yesterday’s […]

More talk that the expected that the Japanese stimulus package could exceed the JPY 20tln and could even be as large as 28tln boosted the Nikkei and sent the Yen back to 104.50 level. Rumours have been circulating for a while and even yesterday stories were that the package would only be a fraction worried the market yesterday resulting in the 1.4% loss. […]

When is a stimulus not a stimulus? Talk in Japan that the eagerly awaited stimulus may not be enough (combined with some nervous profit-taking) produced a 1.4% decline in the Nikkei today. At the same time, the JPY saw the flight to quality and rallied over 1%; last seen trading mid 104. The contrast to […]