GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares rise as U.S. stimulus plans offset virus woes

* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Asian shares rose on Monday as
concerns over rising COVID-19 cases and delays in vaccine
supplies were eclipsed by expectations of a $1.9 trillion fiscal
stimulus plan to help revive the U.S. economy.
Global equity markets have scaled record highs in recent
days on bets COVID vaccines will start to reduce the inflection
rates worldwide and on a stronger U.S. economic recovery under
President Joe Biden.
Still, investors are also wary about towering valuations
amid questions over the efficiency of the vaccines in curbing
the pandemic and as U.S.lawmakers continue to debate a
coronavirus aid package. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS rose slightly to 721.96 and just a short
distance away from last week's record high of 727.31.
The benchmark is up 8.5% so far in January, on track for its
fourth straight monthly rise.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 rebounded from falls in early trading
to be up 0.36%.
Australian shares .AXJO were slightly higher too after the
country's drug regulator approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19
vaccine with authorities saying a phased rollout will begin late
next month. Chinese shares rose, with the blue-chip CSI300 index
.CSI300 up 0.6%.
"The spotlight will be on Washington DC this week," said
Stephen Innes, Chief Global Markets Strategist at Axi.
The Biden administration tried to head off Republican
concerns that their $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal was
too expensive with lawmakers from both parties saying they had
agreed that getting the COVID-19 vaccine to Americans should be
a priority. Financial markets have been eyeing a massive U.S. economic
stimulus though disagreements have meant months of indecision in
a country suffering more than 175,000 COVID-19 cases a day with
millions out of work.
"Vaccine breakthroughs make it likely that life will become
more functional again at some point in 2021, resulting in higher
GDP growth and more robust corporate earnings," Innes said.
"But increasing global COVID19 infections, new variants of
the virus, tightening social distancing restrictions and delays
in vaccine rollouts in some places, all increase the near-term
growth risks."
Global COVID-19 cases are inching towards 100 million with
more than 2 million dead. Hong Kong locked down an area of the Kowloon peninsula on
Saturday, the first such measure the city has taken since the
pandemic began.
Reports the new UK COVID variant was not only highly
infectious but perhaps more deadly than the original strain also
added to worries. In the European Union, political leaders expressed
widespread dismay over a hold-up by AstraZeneca AZN.L and
Pfizer Inc PFE.N in delivering promised doses, with Italy's
prime minister lashing out at the vaccine suppliers, saying
delays amounted to a serious breach of contractual obligations.
On Friday, the Dow .DJI fell 0.57%, the S&P 500 .SPX
lost 0.30% and the Nasdaq .IXIC added 0.09%. The three main
U.S. indexes closed higher for the week, with the Nasdaq up over
4%.
Jefferies analysts said U.S. stock markets looked overvalued
though they still remained bullish.
"For the stock market to have a real nasty unwind, rather
than just a bull market correction, there needs to be a
catalyst," analyst Christopher Wood said.
"That means either an economic downturn or a material
tightening in Fed policy," Wood said, adding neither was likely
to occur in a hurry.
In currencies, major pairs were trapped in a tight range as
markets awaited a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.
The dollar index =USD was flat at 90.19, with the euro
EUR= at $1.2169, while sterling GBP= was last trading at
$1.3691.
The Japanese yen JPY= was unchanged at 103.77 per dollar.
In commodities, oil prices fell with Brent LCOc1 down 12
cents at $55.29 a barrel and U.S. crude CLc1 off 3 cents at
$52.24.
Gold was higher with spot prices XAU= up 0.2% at 1,855.9
an ounce.

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(Editing by Sam Holmes & Shri Navaratnam)