* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* MSCI ex-Japan off 0.4%, Australia and South Korea down
0.9% each
* E-Minis for S&P500 fall 0.2%
* U.S. Treasury yields at the lowest since September 2017
By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, May 29 (Reuters) - Asian shares stumbled on
Wednesday and global bonds rallied as investors fretted over the
outlook for world growth with trade tensions between Washington
and Beijing showing no signs of abating.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was last down 0.4% after three straight days of
gains. South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 and Australian shares .AXJO
were 0.9% lower each.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 faltered 1.4% while E-Minis for the
S&P 500 ESc1 were 0.2% lower.
Risk aversion has increased globally in recent days as fears
of world recession resurface amid disappointing macro data in
major economies. Wins for eurosceptic parties in EU elections as
well as snap poll in Greece and political turmoil in Austria
have added to the gloomy outlook. Italy's dispute with the European Commission over its budget
is also a major overhang for world markets. In Asia, focus remains on the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington was
not ready to make a deal with China yet. At the same time, he
pressed Japan to reduce its trade imbalance with the United
States. "At the moment, growth isn't improving in Europe but is
deteriorating elsewhere," JPMorgan analysts said in a note.
U.S. data on Monday showed a gauge of manufacturing activity
unexpectedly fell to -5.3 in May from +2.0 the previous month.
"The trade war isn't making any progress and it's hard to
imagine the two sides reaching a full, final and permanent
economic deal near term," they added.
"Although no one is willing to turn meaningfully bearish
ahead of the G20 summit given the potential for a Trump
surprise."
Japan will host a Group of 20 finance ministers and central
bankers' meeting on June 8 and 9. Analysts at Citi reckon punitive measures against China's
Huawei and other tech firms, as part of the tariff battle, could
undermine global productivity growth.
"Technological rivalry is here to stay," Citi analyst
Johanna Chua said in a note, adding "it is hard to be
constructive risk assets in Asia at this juncture."
"We maintain a bias to be long U.S. dollar-Asia...As growth
is likely to significantly outweigh inflation concerns, we
expect Asian central banks bias will remain on the accommodative
side."
Global bonds rallied overnight with U.S. Treasury yields
falling further to 2.2693%, the lowest since September 2017.
US10YT=RR German Bund yields are also on a slippery slope
since the EU elections.
In currencies, the dollar index .DXY edged higher to
97.924 from a recent two-week trough of 97.547.
The euro EUR=D3 fell for a third straight day to $1.1650
to inch closer to a recent two-year low of $1.1110. The British
pound GBP=D3 too was weaker at $1.2658 after falling for two
sessions in a row over political turmoil about it exit from the
European Union.
In commodity markets, oil prices were subdued on Wednesday
after rising almost 1% in the previous session after flooding
throughout the Midwest constrained crude flow from the main U.S.
storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 was last off 15 cents at $69.96 per
barrel, hovering near a key $70 mark. U.S. crude CLc1 eased 37
cents to $58.77 per barrel.
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Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
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(Editing by Sam Holmes)