Stocks in Asia echo US gains on Fed rate signals

Asian equities rallied Thursday after US stocks touched fresh highs as the Federal Reserve indicated it would meet market expectations with three rate cuts this year.

Australian, South Korean shares and equity futures for Hong Kong all advanced. Japanese stocks also rose after a Wednesday holiday as the nation’s exports grew for a third consecutive month, offering support for the economy. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.9% to a new high while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, which is more sensitive to policy, rose 1.2%. US futures climbed further in early Asian trading.

The Magnificent Seven group of mega-caps powered to new highs. US small-caps, which typically do well when the economy is expanding, rose almost 2% for the best session in more than a month.

Australian and New Zealand bonds rallied, echoing a rise in Treasuries. Gains were tilted toward the short end with two-year yields falling eight basis points and the 10-year falling by two basis points. The moves reflected an increase in expectations the Fed may cut as early as June. The dollar extended losses, while Treasuries steadied during Asian trading.

Policymakers kept their outlook for three cuts in 2024 and moved toward slowing the pace of reducing their bond holdings, suggesting they aren’t alarmed by a recent uptick in inflation. While Jerome Powell continued to highlight officials would like to see more evidence that prices are coming down, he also said it will be appropriate to start easing “at some point this year.”

“Asian markets are likely to see a wave of relief rally as traders gain confidence from a clearer view of the near-term picture,” said Hebe Chen, an analyst at IG Markets in Melbourne. “This enhanced sense of certainty is likely to be particularly appreciated by the Japanese market.”

The Bloomberg dollar index extended losses after falling 0.4% Wednesday after the move in Treasuries. The yen pared an intraday loss against the greenback early Thursday after declines in the prior session to trade at around 151 per dollar.

The New Zealand dollar also reversed earlier losses as gross domestic product data showed the country unexpectedly fell into a recession in the second half of 2023. Output in the fourth quarter contracted 0.1% to mark its second quarter of negative growth.

In corporate news, shares in Micron Technology Inc., the largest US maker of computer memory chips, jumped in late trading on a surprisingly strong revenue forecast. Elsewhere, Tencent Holdings Ltd. plans to raise its stock buyback program to at least $12.8 billion this year.

Gold rallied to trade over $2,200 an ounce for the first time following the Fed comments. A lower interest rate environment is typically positive for the precious metal, which doesn’t generate interest. Meanwhile, Bitcoin stemmed a recent decline to advance near $68,000. West Texas Intermediate, the US oil price, rose after a Wednesday drop.