* S&P 500, Nasdaq close at new records on inflation push
* Dollar gains as Fed pushes new strategy, as expected
* Longer-dated Treasuries move up on inflation outlook
By Katanga Johnson
WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Asian equities are likely to
have a bumpy ride on Friday after U.S. stocks scaled new peaks
for a third straight day and bond yields surged on the Federal
Reserve's average-inflation strategy, as well as a promising
development in curbing the coronavirus pandemic.
Markets swirled after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell laid out a
policy that aims for 2% inflation on average so that too low a
pace would be followed by an effort to lift inflation
"moderately above 2% for some time." As investors tried to digest its ramifications, gold rose,
and then fell. Yields gained on longer-dated government bonds
fell, and then rose.
The dollar rebounded after an initial drop and gold prices
flipped in choppy trade, retreating from early gains on Powell's
comments, which investors had widely expected.
"There seems to be a bit of rotation with regards to the
news today and how the market has responded, giving the markets
a value bump," said Matthew Keator, managing partner in the
Keator Group, a wealth management firm in Lenox, Massachusetts.
"The steepening of the yield curve is a welcome addition,
particularly on a day when the market is rising," Keator added.
Australian S&P/ASX 200 futures YAPcm1 lost 0.15% in early
trading.
Japan's Nikkei 225 futures NKc1 added 0.09%, while the
Nikkei 225 index .N225 closed the overnight session down 0.35%
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures .HSI HSIc1 rose
0.05%.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose
160.35 points, or 0.57%, to 28,492.27, the S&P 500 .SPX gained
5.82 points, or 0.17%, at 3,484.55, both setting new intraday
highs.
The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 39.72 points, or 0.34%,
to 11,625.34.
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.14%.
Emerging market stocks lost 0.19%. MSCI's broadest index of
Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS closed 0.14%
lower, while Japan's Nikkei .N225 %.
Stocks also rose on news that Abbott Laboratories ABT.N
won U.S. marketing authorization for a COVID-19 portable antigen
test that can deliver results in 15 minutes and will sell for
$5. Abbott shares rose 7.9%. But as negotiations between the Republicans and Democrats on
another coronavirus aid package have stalled, some analysts
worry this will eventually threaten the equity-market
rally Crude oil declined 0.28% to $42.90 per barrel as Hurricane
Laura, which initially made landfall in the heart of the U.S.
oil industry and forced oil rigs and refineries to shut down,
began to weaken.
The dollar index =USD rose 0.217%, with the euro EUR=
down 0.03% to $1.1818 and spot gold prices XAU= dropped 0.1%
to $1,927.81 an ounce.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment
benefits hovered around 1 million last week, while the U.S.
economy suffered its sharpest contraction in at least 73 years
in the second quarter, two government entities said.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury US10YT=RR note rose to yield
0.7538% from 0.746%.
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Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
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