World shares dip as Abe disappoints, Fed worries weigh

 

  The dollar fell back through 100 yen and world shares dipped on Wednesday after new growth policies from Japan's Prime disappointed and fears over a cut in US stimulus efforts weighed on sentiment.

 

Japan's Nikkei share index led market falls across Asia, dropping 3.8% to hit a two-month low, while the dollar fell 0.5% against the Japanese currency to 99.50 yen.

 

Shinzo Abe pledged to boost incomes by 3% annually and set up special economic zones to attract foreign businesses in his widely-anticipated speech, aimed at bolstering growth in the world's third-biggest economy.

 

"The initial investor disappointment appears more related to the lack of specific policy measures required to meet the plethora of new economic goals," Lee Hardman, currency analyst for Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ said.

 

Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 0.7%, following the weaker tone in world markets dominated by concerns about the Fed's stimulus policies. These were fuelled on Tuesday when Fed official Esther George said she supported slowing down the pace of bond purchases.

 

"The markets are hanging on every word of the central bankers in Europe and the US," said Berkeley Futures associate director Richard Griffiths.

 

Safe-haven German bonds futures gained some support from the weaker equity markets but trading was cautious ahead of PMI data the health of the euro zone and UK service sectors in May, and weekly jobless claims figures from the US

 

Commodity markets were firmer, with investors keeping an eye on the dollar, which is expected to gain if jobs data including Friday's key nonfarm payrolls report support talk of an end to the Fed stimulus.

 

Spot gold rose 0.5% to $1,406.26 an ounce while Brent crude was up 0.4% at $103.60 a barrel.