GLobal Markets Asian shares hover near 2013 lows on growth worries, Cyprus

GLobal Markets Asian shares hover near 2013 lows on growth worries, Cyprus
Business & Markets 2013
Written by Reuters
Friday, 22 March 2013 14:50


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TOKYO (March 22): Asian shares hovered near 2013 lows and gold stayed close to a one-month high on Friday as Cyprus scrambled to find a solution to its funding crisis and concern over the health of the euro zone mounted.

European markets were seen carrying over Asia's cautious tone, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100 , Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX to open down as much as 0.2 percent. U.S. stock futures were flat to point to a subdued Wall Street start.

The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan inched down 0.3 percent, nearing the lowest level in three months struck earlier this week. The pan-Asian index was set for a weekly loss of nearly 1.7 percent.

The European Union gave Cyprus till Monday to raise the billions of euros it needs to secure an international bailout or face a collapse of its financial system that could push it out of the euro currency zone.

Market sentiment was further soured by data showing signs of fatigue in Germany, the region's leading economy, and French businesses turning in their worst performance in four years in March. France, the euro zone's second-biggest economy, likely fell into a recession.

Investors will turn to Germany's Ifo business climate index for March due at 0900 GMT for further clues on the health of Europe's largest economy.

"The deterioration in the euro zone's economic activities is worrisome as it weakens the foundation on which the region's departure from crisis hinges on," said Naohiro Niimura, a partner at research and consulting firm Market Risk Advisory in Tokyo.

"Weakness in Germany in particular is a concern as it shows fiscal austerity is eroding its growth too."

The dollar held steady against a basket of major currencies while spot gold held near the one-month high of $1,616.36 an ounce touched on Thursday, supported by demand for safe-haven assets from nervous investors.

"Gold is likely to stay firm in the short term thanks to Cyprus," said Li Ning, an analyst at Shanghai CIFCO Futures.

"Though Cyprus is a small economy, there are concerns about the risk of contagion if the crisis there doesn't get solved properly."

Australian shares inched up 0.2 percent and snapped a four-day losing run as investors bought beaten-down banking stocks, but that didn't prevent the market from sliding to its biggest weekly loss in almost a year.

NIKKEI DROPS

Japan's Nikkei stock average tumbled 2.4 percent, after hitting a 4-1/2-year high on Thursday.

Foreign investors bought 5.83 trillion yen worth of Japanese equities in the past 18 weeks through March 16, data showed on Friday, surpassing 5.80 trillion yen in their 19 straight weeks of net buying from late 2005 to early 2006, as they bet on pledges by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take aggressive reflationary measures to bolster Japan's growth.

The dollar eased 0.2 percent to 94.69 yen, nearing Thursday's low of 94.54 yen. The dollar fell more than 1 percent on Thursday when investors trimmed their bearish bet on the Japanese currency after the new Bank of Japan governor played down the chances of an emergency meeting.

The euro steadied around $1.2900, holding off a four-month low of $1.2844 hit on Tuesday.

U.S. crude futures rose 0.1 percent to $92.52 a barrel while Brent was steady around $107.47. - Reuters