* Thai exports jump 8.47% in March; fastest pace in 28 mths
* Singapore core inflation quickens to fastest in more than
a year
* Malaysia CPI rises 1.7% from a year ago in March
By Harish Sridharan
April 23 (Reuters) - Asian equities were subdued on Friday,
as surging coronavirus infections in India and Thailand sapped
risk appetite, while reports of a potential hike in capital
gains tax in the United States also dampened sentiment.
All major indexes on Wall Street suffered overnight after
reports that the U.S President Joe Biden planned to raise income
taxes on the wealthy to fund major investments in child care,
universal pre-kindergarten education, and paid leave for
workers. Indian stocks .NSEI stood slightly lower after losing as
much as 0.6% in early trade, as the country recorded the world's
highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for a second day in a
row, with its health infrastructure crumbling under the burden
of a second wave of infections.
Stocks in Bangkok .SETI fell 0.5%, while the baht weakened
THB=TH and was eyeing its worst session in over 10 days, as
Thailand reported its highest number of daily cases since the
pandemic began. Data showing an unexpected 8.47% jump in the country's
exports for March, marking its fastest pace in 28 months, did
little to lift the mood as the economic outlook remained
uncertain. Malaysian government data showed that the country's consumer
price index in March rose 1.7% from a year earlier, surpassing
the 1.4% annual growth forecast by a Reuters poll. The country's
equities and currency were flat. Singapore's key price gauge rose by the fastest pace in more
than a year, with the core inflation rate rising to 0.5% in
March from a year earlier, compared with 0.2% in February.
Equities .STI were down 0.3%, while the Singapore dollar
SGD= was relatively flat. "From a monetary policy perspective, this jump in headline
inflation will be of no surprise to the authorities," analysts
at Mizuho wrote in a note, referring to both countries.
Central banks in Singapore and Malaysia are not expected to
respond to the widely anticipated pick-up in headline inflation,
given the bulk of the price pressures are expected to be
transitory, they added.
South Korea's benchmark stock index .KS11 was trading
flat, but was on track to post its first weekly loss in five
weeks, as worries over surging virus cases weighed on sentiment.
The won KRW=KFTC was off 0.1% against the dollar.
Highlights
** Top loser on Thailand's SETI .SETI was Sabuy Technology
PCL SABUY.BK , down 5.47%
** Top Glove Corporation Bhd TPGC.KL gained as much as
2.5% to hit a two month high
** JG Summit Holdings Inc JGS.PS down 1.72% and top loser
in Philippines benchmark index .PSI
Asia stock indexes and
currencies at 0505 GMT
COUNTRY FX RIC FX FX INDE STOCKS STOCK
DAILY YTD % X DAILY S YTD
% % %
Japan JPY= +0.06 -4.32 <.N2 #VALUE #VALU
25> ! E!
China