- RBA leaves its cash rate unchanged at 3.6%, as widely expected.
- MUFG sees Bank of England (BoE) holding this week, December rate cut still base case
- Japan’s Finance Minister Katayama says seeing one-sided rapid yen moves
- Goldman: Yen intervention unlikely near 155, gradual recovery seen over time
- Standard Chartered bullish on global equities despite valuations, U.S. job concerns
- China starts trial production at world’s first flying car factory in Guangzhou
- China offers big power subsidies to boost local AI chips at ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent
- Japan’s Takaichi: Boost revenue through growth, strengthen supply and infrastructure
- PBOC to boost policy support, expand offshore yuan market and cross-border payments
- US Treas Sec Bessent says he’ll attend Supreme Court tariff case
- China’s He Lifeng vows to stabilise global trade, deepen cooperation amid new challenges
- PBOC sets USD/ CNY central rate at 7.0885 (vs. estimate at 7.1226)
- China, Russia agree to deepen all-round cooperation under strategic partnership
- Japan final manufacturing PMI for October 48.2 (down from 48.5 in September)
- USD up, equity indexes slip
- Standard Chartered: BTD, Gold pullback a buy as drivers stay firm, $4,500 still the target
- Panama Canal sees 2026 trade slowdown, but U.S.–Asia LPG traffic hits record highs
- Rabobank: US productivity strength to support dollar, but global recovery to limit upside
- Fed officials divided on December rate cut – inflation worries persist, labour risks mount
- South Korea to restructure steel sector hit by U.S., EU tariffs and oversupply pressures
- South Korea inflation hits 2.4%, fastest rise since mid-2024, higher utilities & services
- ICYMI: OpenAI sigs $38 billion Amazon cloud deal to boost Nvidia-powered AI infrastructure
- Ether slides below $3,600 after $100 million DeFi hack deepens crypto sell-off
- EU’s Šefčovič: Nexperia progress, urges lasting chip-supply stability, no export barriers
- UBS sees equity bull market extending despite Fed uncertainty and high valuations
- AUD, ASX and Aussie bond traders heads up – it’s a partial holiday in Australia today.
- investingLive Americas market news wrap: ISM manufacturing disappoints
Asian markets saw a firm U.S. dollar, softer regional currencies, and a modest risk-off tone following several key policy signals.
In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government will boost tax revenue through economic growth rather than rate hikes, pledging to strengthen supply capacity and invest in services and infrastructure. The yen briefly weakened towards 154.50, its lowest since mid-February, before Finance Minister Katayama’s warning on “one-sided” moves helped it rebound below 154.10.
The greenback’s strength weighed broadly across G10 and Asian FX. The euro fell to its lowest since August, while the Singapore dollar dropped to its weakest since May 12.
The Reserve Bank of Australia delivered an on-hold decision, as expected, but its tone leaned hawkish. Policymakers said inflation has picked up and that underlying pressures persist, even if some of the Q3 rise was temporary. Core inflation is expected to remain above 3% into 2026.
In its Statement on Monetary Policy, the RBA lifted inflation forecasts sharply, saying price growth will stay above target until the second half of 2026. The Bank assumes a cash rate of 3.6% through 2025, signalling a prolonged hold in mildly restrictive territory.
AUD/USD drifted lower in line with the stronger dollar and failed to hold a small bounce after the RBA release.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s CPI rose 2.4% y/y, the fastest since July 2024, driven by food and utility prices, while Japan’s October manufacturing PMI dropped to 48.2, its weakest in 19 months.
From China, the PBOC pledged to strengthen policy support and expand RMB cross-border payment systems, while deepening Hong Kong’s offshore yuan market — reinforcing its commitment to economic stabilisation and currency internationalisation.
In crypto, Ether slumped nearly 9%, briefly breaching $3,600, after a $100 million DeFi hack on Balancer deepened selling pressure. The token remains about 25% below its August high, as traders adjust to a more cautious macro backdrop and fewer Fed-cut expectations.
Asia-Pac
stocks:
- Japan
(Nikkei 225) -0.36% - Hong
Kong (Hang Seng) +0.25% - Shanghai
Composite -0.19% - Australia
(S&P/ASX 200) -0.68%
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.