* Gold hits record high, dollar falls broadly
* Asia tech shares gain as Intel delays new chips
* U.S.-China tensions keep investors on edge
* Earnings, U.S. stimulus talks in focus
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Hideyuki Sano
TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) - Gold hit an all-time high on
Monday as tit-for-tat consulate closures in China and the United
States rattled investors, boosting the allure of safe haven
assets, although sentiment was mixed with tech gains supporting
some Asian stocks.
MSCI's ex-Japan Asia-Pacific index .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 1.3%
as Taiwan's TSMC 2330.TW , Asia's third-largest company by
market capitalisation, rose almost 10%.
The chipmaker's gains boosted other tech stocks in the
region and came after rival Intel INTC.O signalled it may give
up manufacturing its own components due to delays in new 7
nanometer chip technology. Also soothing sentiment, Chinese shares eked out gains after
big falls late last week, with CSI300 index .CSI300 rising
0.5%.
S&P500 futures ESv1 were last up 0.4% in choppy trade
while Japan's Nikkei .N225 fell 0.5%, resuming trade after a
long weekend and catching up with falls in global shares late
last week.
Global shares had lost steam last week after Washington
ordered China's consulate in Houston to close, prompting Beijing
to react in kind by closing the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took fresh aim at China
last week, saying Washington and its allies must use "more
creative and assertive ways" to press the Chinese Communist
Party to change its ways. "U.S. President (Donald) Trump used to say China's President
Xi Jinping is a great leader. But now Pompeo's wording is
becoming so aggressive that markets are starting to worry about
further escalation," said Norihiro Fujito, chief investment
strategist at Mitsubishi Securities.
Gold rose 1.0% to a record high of $1,920.9 per ounce
XAU= , surpassing a peak touched in September 2011, as
Sino-U.S. tensions boosted the allure of safe haven assets,
especially those not tied to any specific country.
The yellow metal is also helped by aggressive monetary
easing adopted by many central banks around the world since the
pandemic plunged the global economy into a recession.
Some investors fret such an unprecedented level of
money-printing could eventually lead to inflation.
MORE STIMULUS
Hopes of a quick U.S. economic recovery are fading as
coronavirus infections showed few signs of slowing. That means the economy could capitulate without fresh
support from the government, with some of earlier steps such as
enhanced jobless benefits due to expire this month.
Investors hope U.S. Congress will agree on a deal before its
summer recess but there are some sticking points including the
size of stimulus and enhanced unemployment benefits.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the package will
contain extended unemployment benefits with 70% "wage
replacement". Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, want
enhanced benefits of $600 per week to be extended and look to
much bigger stimulus compared with the Republicans' $1 trillion
plan.
Investors are looking to corporate earnings from around the
world for hints on the pace of recovery in the global economy.
"It looks like rising coronavirus cases are starting to slow
down recovery in many countries," said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior
strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management.
Concerns about the U.S. economic outlook started to weigh on
the dollar, reversing its inverse correlation with the economic
well-being over the past few months.
The dollar index USD= dropped 0.3% to its lowest level in
nearly two years.
The euro gained 0.3% to $1.1693, EUR= hitting a 22-month
high of $1.16590 as sentiment on the common currency improved
after European leaders reached a deal on a recovery fund in a
major step towards more fiscal co-operation.
Against the yen, the dollar slipped 0.5% to 105.605 yen
JPY= , a four-month low while the British pound hit a 4
1/2-month high of $1.2832 GBP= .
Oil prices dipped on worries about the worsening Sino-U.S.
relations.
Brent futures LCOv1 fell 0.46% to $43.14 per barrel while
U.S. crude futures CLc1 lost 0.44% to $41.11.
(Editing by Sam Holmes)