World Equity Markets Mixed Before US Presents Updates On Spending, Durable Goods

Shares rose in Europe on Friday after a retreat in Asia ahead of updates on US consumer spending and durable goods orders.
Benchmarks climbed in London and Paris but fell in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. Oil prices surged more than USD1 a barrel.

Japan reported its core inflation rate, excluding volatile fresh foods, rose to 3.7per cent in November, the highest level since 1981, as surging costs for oil and other commodities added to upward price pressures in the world's third-largest economy.

While price increases are much more modest in Japan than in the US and most major European and emerging economies, they add to pressure on the Bank of Japan to adjust longstanding policies that have kept interest rates ultra-low to spur growth.

For Japan, deflation—falling prices—rather than inflation has been the key concern for most of the past few decades.

Recession in coming months remains a greater concern, economists say.

“Inflation edged up in November and will peak at around 4 per cent around the turn of the year, but we expect it to fall back below the Bank of Japan's 2 per cent target by mid-2023," Capital Economics economist Marcel Thieliant said in a report.

The Fed has already hiked its key overnight rate to its highest level in 15 years.

It began the year at a record low of near zero. Many economists and investors expect a recession to hit the US economy in 2023.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 1 per cent to 26,235.25 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 0.4per cent to 19,593.06.

The Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.3 per cent to 3,045.87 and Australia's S and P/ASX 200 declined 0.6 per cent to 7,107.70.

In Seoul, the Kospi dropped 1.8 per cent to 2,313.69. Shares also fell in Mumbai and Taiwan but were flat in Bangkok.

Good economic data should be positive for markets when recession may be looming, but the reports on Thursday suggested the Federal Reserve may need to keep hiking interest rates and keep them high to curb inflation.

On Friday, the US government will report on personal income and spending and on durable goods orders, among other data.

The Fed is particularly worried about a still-strong job market giving more oxygen to inflation, which has eased a bit in recent months but is still near the highest level in decades.

A report on Thursday said employers laid off fewer workers last week than expected. Another report showed that the broad US economy expanded at a more robust pace during the summer than earlier estimated.

The S&P 500 fell 1.4per cent on Thursday after having been down as much as 2.9 per cent earlier in the day. The pullback brings Wall Street's main measure of health back to a loss of nearly 20per cent for the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1 per cent and the Nasdaq closed 2.2per cent lower. The Russell 2000 index dropped 1.3 per cent.

Trading has been topsy-turvy across Wall Street recently as reports paint a mixed portrait of the economy.

High-growth technology stocks have taken some of the year's worst hits because they're seen as some of the most vulnerable to rising rates.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla is smarting from rising interest rates and with issues specific to itself and its CEO, Elon Musk.

It tumbled 8.9 per cent, bringing its loss for the year to around 64 per cent. It's taking the rare step of offering discounts on its two top-selling models through year's end, an indication demand is slowing.

Worries are rising broadly about corporate profits across industries, which are contending with the weight of higher interest rates, still-high inflation and rising costs rise due to payroll and other expenses.

Weaker corporate profits could further erode support for stocks, after profits strengthened through much of 2022.

Meanwhile, the housing industry and other areas of the economy whose fortunes are closely tied to low interest rates are suffering.

In other trading on Friday, US benchmark crude oil rose USD 1.50 to USD 78.99 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 80 cents to USD 77.49 per barrel on Thursday.

Brent crude oil, the pricing basis for international trading, advanced USD1.43 to USD 83.10 per barrel.

The US dollar rose to 132.62 Japanese yen from 132.38 yen. The euro strengthened to USD 1.0612 from USD 1.0597