Asian Mid-session Update: US Dollar trades near low levels; Market waiting for BoJ monetary statement
***Economic Data***
- (KR) SOUTH KOREA MAR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION M/M: -0.4% V -0.5%E; Y/Y: -0.1% V -1.6%E
- (JP) JAPAN MAR PRELIMINARY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION M/M: -0.3% V -2.3%E; Y/Y: -1.2% V -3.4%E
- (TW) TAIWAN Q1 PRELIM GDP 3.5% V 3.5%E
- (SG) Singapore Mar Bank Loans and Advances: 2.3% v 3.3% prior
- (SG) Singapore Mar M1 Money Supply Y/Y: 2.3% v 3.1% prior; M2 Money Supply Y/Y: 3.9% v 3.3% prior
- (SG) Singapore Mar Credit Card Bad Debts (SGD): 25.0M v 25.0M prior; Credit Card Billings: 3.91B v 3.48B prior
- (AU) AUSTRALIA MAR PRIVATE SECTOR CREDIT M/M: 0.5% V 0.5%E; Y/Y: 6.2% v 6.3%E
- (AU) AUSTRALIA Q1 IMPORT PRICE INDEX Q/Q: -0.2% V +1.0%E; EXPORT PRICE INDEX Q/Q: -0.8% V 0.0%E
- (NZ) New Zealand Mar M3 Money Supply Y/Y: 8.3% v 6.6% prior
- (NZ) NEW ZEALAND CENTRAL BANK (RBNZ) LEAVES OFFICIAL CASH RATE UNCHANGED AT 3.50%, AS EXPECTED
- (NZ) NEW ZEALAND MAR BUILDING PERMITS M/M: +11.0% V -6.3% PRIOR
- (UK) UK APR GFK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: 4 V 4E
- (BR) BRAZIL CENTRAL BANK (BCB) RAISES SELIC TARGET RATE BY 50BPS TO 13.25%; AS EXPECTED; 4th consecutive tightening
***Index Snapshot (as of 02:30 GMT)***
- Nikkei225 -1.9%, S&P/ASX -1.4%, Kospi -0.9%, Shanghai Composite -0.2%, Hang Seng -0.7%, Jun S&P500 flat at 2,098
***Commodities/Fixed Income***
- Jun gold -0.6% at $1,203/oz, Jun crude oil +0.1% at $58.61/brl, May copper -0.3% at $2.79/lb
- (AU) Australia MoF (AOFM) sells A$500M in Aug 7th notes; Avg yield: 2.0645%; Bid-to-cover: 3.26x
- (CN) PBoC won't conduct open market operations (OMO) in today's session (4th consecutive halt); Net zero position this week v drained net CNY20B prior
- (GR) Moodys cuts rating on Greece one notch to Caa2 from Caa1
***Market Focal Points/FX***
- New Zealand central bank RBNZ leaves interest rate unchanged at 3.50% in today's rate decision, as economists broadly expected. RBNZ stated that central bank would cut rate on weaker demand and less inflation pressure. RBNZ reiterated that NZD is unjustifiably, unsustainably high. Those comments sent NZD lower by about 90pips to $0.76 levels.
- Japan today released Mar preliminary industrial production data. Results are better than economists have expected. USD/JPY traded little changed after those figures, as market waiting for BoJ's monetary policy statement. Majority of analysts (approx. 95%) expect BoJ to leave its Monetary Base unchanged at Annual Pace of ¥80T. However, there is a minority view (less than 5%) expecting for more easing by BoJ. USD/JPY stayed at low levels today, as well as US Dollar against other major currency pairs, after US posted weaker than expected GDP figure from US morning trading session.
***Equities***
US equities / ADRs:
- GLUU: Announces Strategic Relationship with Tencent; also adds pop icon Britney Spears to its celebrity roster; Reports Q1 $0.02 v -$0.01e, R$62.4M v $51.5Me; +22.8% afterhours
- ARII: Reports Q1 $1.64 v $1.23e, R$263.8M v $212Me; +7.7% afterhours
- EQIX: Reports Q1 $1.34 v $0.85e, R$643.2M v $637Me; +5.2% afterhours
- TX: Reports Q1 -$0.22 v $0.49e (unclear if comp), R$2.13B v $2.23Be; +0.2% afterhours
- AAPL: Reportedly Apple detected a defect in a major component of the Watch which caused it to limit the recent roll out; No defective Apple Watches reached consumers - press; -0.7% afterhours
- MUR: Reports Q1 -$1.11 v -$0.86e; -1.2% afterhours
- MAR: Reports Q1 $0.73 v $0.70e, R$3.51B v $3.59Be; -2.0% afterhours
- BIDU: Reports Q1 $1.22 v $1.13e, R$2.05B v $1.91Be; -2.6% afterhours
- FLEX: Reports Q4 $0.27 v $0.25e, R$5.95B v $6.27Be; Acquires Mirror Controls International for €457M cash; -4.8% afterhours
- YELP: Reports Q1 adj $0.10 v $0.01e, R$118.5M v $119Me; -15.2% afterhours
- NXPI: Reports Q1 $1.35 v $1.31e, R$1.47B v $1.47Be
Notable movers by sector:
- Consumer Discretionary: Oriental Land 4661.JP -4.2% (FY14/15 results)
- Financials: China Everbright Bank 6818.HK -3.1% (Q1 results)
- Materials: ALS Ltd ALQ.AU +4.9% (FY15 guidance)
- Industrials: Honda Motor 7267.JP -6.4% (FY14/15 results); China Cosco Holdings 1919.HK -3.4% (Q1 results); Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology 1157.HK -2.6% (Q1 results)
- Healthcare: Takeda Pharmaceutical 4502.JP -3.0% (speculation on FY14/15 results)