* U.S. crude climbs back to $1.76, Brent at $25.78
* Spooked investors sell shares, seek dollars
* Nikkei -1%, ASX -0.5%
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Tom Westbrook and Katanga Johnson
SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil
bounced back into positive territory on Tuesday, after a
historic plunge below zero that shocked investors and pushed
down stock prices and Asian currencies.
Futures for May delivery of West Texas Intermediate CLc1
rose nearly $39 but were still just $1.76 a barrel, after a
storage squeeze and collapsing fuel demand crushed prices to
eye-popping lows. O/R
The contract expires at the end of trade on Tuesday, which
is pushing investors to clear them from their books at any
price, and June prices CLc2 at $22 per barrel point to some
relief.
But the collapse highlighted intense disruptions globally as
the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns paralyse the world
economy, and augurs badly for a swift return to growth.
Asian equity markets followed Wall Street lower. MSCI's
broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS fell half a percent. Japan's Nikkei .N225 fell
1%, while bonds and the dollar held gains.
"This is clear evidence of demand destruction," said Michael
McCarthy, chief strategist at broker CMC Markets in Sydney.
"It's not just relevant to energy markets, this very clear
evidence of economic damage...it's not a matter of just turning
everything back on and jumping back into action."
Even besides the economic signal, the plunge puts fresh and
unbearable pressure on producers and has investors worrying
about a credit crunch if heavily indebted energy firms collapse
or a systemic funding crisis if traders are affected.
May futures settled at minus $37.63 a barrel on Monday, a
306% daily drop, driven by the rapid filling of the United
States' main storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma - the delivery
point for West Texas crude.
"The price action was scary because you've got folks wanting
to pay other people to take physical delivery of an asset they
don't want to own," said Kyle Rodda, market analyst at IG
Markets in Melbourne.
"It points to the fact that supply and demand has been
destroyed...the issue will be that in a month's time will we be
staring down the barrel of the same thing?"
North Sea Brent LCOc1 , the international benchmark and far
more easily seaborne, was at $26.25, up 2% on the day.
AWASH IN OIL
The unprecedented dislocations in oil markets come as hopes
for a swift recovery from the coronavirus crisis are waning as
governments take cautious paths to restarting their economies.
If lessons can be drawn from China, industrial production
can be switched back on relatively quickly once anti-virus
measures are eased, but consumption will take longer to revive
if social distancing and other movement restrictions continue,
Oxford Economics said in a note to clients.
In currency markets, the safe-haven dollar gained on riskier
majors such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars for a
second day and bonds extended Monday's rally. FRX/
The dollar stood at $0.6306 per Australian dollar AUD=D3
and $0.6003 per kiwi NZD=D3 , while the oil-linked Canadian
dollar CAD=D3 and Norwegian krone NOK= recovered slightly
with the bounce in oil prices.
Yields on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasuries US10YT=RR
edged lower to 0.6179%.
More than 2.41 million people have been reported to be
infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 165,854 have
died, according to a Reuters tally.
Debate over the pace of re-start and recovery has already
spilled into the streets in the United States, the worst hit
nation globally, as protests against lockdowns intensified.
Health experts and lawmakers fear the United States could
face a second and even deadlier wave of infections if the
lockdowns end prematurely and other countries appear to be
favouring a cautious approach.
"The COVID-induced evaporation in demand will keep the oil
market under pressure," said Kerry Craig, global market
strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
"Even as, or if, virus containment measures ease in the
coming weeks, the world is going to be awash in oil for some
time – economies may be slow to get back up and running to a
pace that would warrant a strong increase in demand."
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Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Global bonds dashboard (DO NOT USE UNTIL UPDATE FOUND) http://tmsnrt.rs/2fPTds0
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
U.S. crude oil's historic crash below zero IMAGE https://reut.rs/2KmJk3e
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