Stocks Waver on US Election Risks, Yen Advances: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — European equities were set to emulate Asia’s lackluster session as concerns on China’s economy and a tight US presidential election dented risk sentiment. The yen halted a three-day drop.

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Euro Stoxx 50 futures edged lower, while contracts for US shares advanced. Most Asian equity benchmarks retreated, with losses led by China. In Japan, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said he sees one-sided, rapid moves in the currency market after the yen slumped over 1% against the greenback on Wednesday.

Benchmark 10-year US yields dropped three basis points, largely erasing the prior session’s increase when it hit the highest level in almost three months. A dollar gauge fell while oil prices rebounded after retreating on Wednesday as traders assessed tensions in the Middle East and the outlook for market balances heading into 2025.

In the US, the presidential contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris could hardly be tighter, with the candidates statistically tied among likely voters in each of the seven swing states in the Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll.

“Asian markets are generally mixed in today’s session, with some market anxiety in place as we inch closer to the upcoming US elections,” said Jun Rong Yeap, market strategist at IG Asia Pte. “Recent strength in the US dollar and a surge in Treasury yields remain a source of reservation for aggressive risk-taking in the region.”

Asian equities have lost momentum after rallying nearly 5% in September as traders weigh the risks including concerns about whether China’s recent stimulus blitz is enough to revive growth. The pace of Federal Reserve easing is also on investors’ radar, with swap traders now less than 100% certain of rate cuts over the two remaining policy meetings this year.

“There is still some doubt whether the stimulus changes things fundamentally,” Vanessa Xu, chief investment officer at VS Partners, told Bloomberg TV. The very large price swings in Chinese stocks in recent weeks reflects “a tug of war between tourist money and serious long money,” she said.

Elsewhere, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. halted shipments to a client after discovering that chips made for that client ended up with Huawei Technology Co., potentially violating US sanctions. In South Korea, SK Hynix Inc.’s shares gained after the firm posted record quarterly profit and revenue. Korean automobile major Hyundai Motor’s third-quarter operating profit missed estimate.

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