* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Stocks take China GDP contraction in stride
* Dollar falls as safe-haven demand wilts
* U.S. oil futures hit 18-year low
By Stanley White
TOKYO, April 17 (Reuters) - Asian stocks gained on Friday as
President Donald Trump's plans to gradually re-open the U.S.
economy outweighed concerns over data that showed China suffered
its worst economic contraction on record due to the coronavirus
outbreak.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was up 2.2% after reaching a five-week high.
Shares in China .CSI300 rose 1.04% as the weak GDP data
reinforced expectations that more stimulus is coming, while
shares in Australia .AXJO were up 1.31%.
E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 index ESc1 traded 2.83%
higher, also close to a five-week high.
Euro Stoxx 50 futures STXEc1 were up 2.58%, German DAX
futures FDXc1 were up 2.9%, while FTSE futures FFIc1 were up
2.49%.
Data from China showed the world's second-largest economy
shrank for the first time since at least 1992 because of the
coronavirus outbreak and tough containment measures. Gross
domestic product contracted 6.8% in the quarter year-on-year,
slightly more than expected, and 9.8% from the previous quarter.
Retail sales also fell more than expected in March, but
industrial output only dipped slightly, suggesting its
manufacturing sector at least is recovering more quickly.
However, the Chinese data and other forecasts that said the
world is in its worst recession in decades caused barely a
ripple in Asian shares as investors focus instead on whether the
pandemic is peaking and how soon governments will start to ease
lockdowns which have crippled business and consumer activity.
Some analysts cautioned, however, that it is premature to
say the health crisis is under control.
"Stocks are reacting naturally to Trump's talk of re-opening
the economy, because some people don't want to be left out of
the rally," said Ayako Sera, market strategist at Sumitomo
Mitsui Trust Bank in Tokyo.
"The problem is there is a big gap between expectations and
the underlying economic reality, which is that many countries
are still very weak."
Shares in Asia tracked gains on Wall Street, as hopes that
the United States will roll back restrictions on businesses
boosted risk appetite. Reports based on partial data that showed
severe COVID-19 patients responded positively to a drug made by
Gilead Sciences Inc GILD.O also lent support. Joining a handful of other governments that are restarting
their economies, Trump said on Thursday U.S. state governors can
re-open businesses in a staggered, three-stage process.
Some analysts remain sceptical of Trump's plan, but the
equity markets took the comments as a sign that the worst of the
pandemic may be over.
Equity markets also took the China data in stride partly
because it has contained the virus and managed to get large
parts of its economy back up and running from a standstill in
February.
"We expect this recovery to continue and to show up in the
GDP data from Q2 onwards as more progress is made with the
return to economic normalcy," Louis Kuijs, chief Asia economist,
at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong.
"However, the upturn will be slowed down by lingering
consumption weakness and sliding foreign demand. We expect it to
take until Q4 before year-on-year growth reaches around 4%."
Japan's Nikkei stock index .N225 rose 3.15% on Friday,
while shares in South Korea .KS11 gained 3.25%.
Yields on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasuries US10YT=RR rose
slightly from a two-week low in Asia, while Treasury futures
TYc1 fell in another tentative sign of investor optimism.
US/
The dollar fell against the yen JPY=EBS , the euro
EUR=EBS , and sterling GBP=D3 as hope for future economic
growth reduced safe-haven demand for the greenback.
Spot gold XAU= fell 1.48% to $1,692.10 per ounce in
another sign that investors felt more comfortable taking on
risk. GOL/
U.S. crude futures CLc1 fell to an 18-year low after
OPEC's lowering of its global demand forecast, but Brent crude
LCOc1 rose 2.66% to $28.56 a barrel. O/R
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