Asian stocks reach three-year peak, China holds gains

Asian shares touched fresh three-year highs on Tuesday as investors in the region drew encouragement from a rally in Chinese markets, though caution was widespread given the torrent of US economic news still to come this week.

Hong Kong's key stock index inched to its loftiest level in over 3-1/2 years on optimism that the world's second-largest economy has turned a corner and as investors wagered on more growth-friendly policies from Beijing.

The charge had been led by Chinese banks after a Reuters report said the country's fifth-biggest bank by assets planned to seek more private investors.

The CSI300 of the leading Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares levelled off, having climbed over 7% in the past six sessions.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.2% to be just a whisker from a peak last touched in April 2011. Likewise, South Korea's index gained 0.6% to its highest since mid-2011.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4% to a six-month high as investors focused on the positive in some mixed economic news. While household spending and retail sales underwhelmed, the availability of jobs in Japan rose to the highest in 22 years in an upbeat omen for wages and the government's aim of reflating the economy.

Nissan jumped 4.5% after the automaker's April-June operating profit rose a higher-than-expected 13.4%.

Wall Street had been more restrained as the major indices approached daunting chart barriers. The Dow had ended Monday up 0.1%, while the S&P 500 gained a bare 0.03%, and the Nasdaq lost 0.1%.

Action was also lacking in currencies. The dollar held close to a six-month peak against a basket of its peers, having gone virtually nowhere as investors kept to the sidelines ahead of a policy review by the Federal Reserve.

The Fed is sure to cut its monthly bond-buying program by another $10 billion as it looks to wind up the scheme later in the year, but the focus for markets is on any clues to the timing of the first interest rate hike.

With other key data such as US gross domestic product and the closely watched non-farm payrolls report still to come, investors were content to sit on their hands.

The euro was pinned near an eight-month trough of $1.3421 set on Friday. It traded at $1.3434, having shuffled between $1.3427 and $1.3440.

Against the yen, the dollar was steady at 101.86, while the common currency barely budged at 136.84.

In commodities, gold was idling at $1,304.96 after a very quiet 24 hours saw it hold to an $8 range.

Oil prices dipped as signs of excess supplies of North Sea and West African crude and weak demand in Europe and Asia offset fears of escalating tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East.

September Brent lost 13 cents to $107.44 a barrel, while US crude futures eased 29 cents to $101.38.

 

(Editing by Kim Coghill)