Agence France-Presse
11:53 am | Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
An investor looks at the stock price monitor at a private securities company in Shanghai, China, on April 8, 2013. AP FILE PHOTO
Hong Kong – Asian shares fell on Tuesday as fresh data showed Chinese manufacturing weakening further this month, while Japan’s Nikkei succumbed to profit-taking and a pick-up in the yen.
The latest figures from China add to growing concerns about the world’s number two economy and crucial driver of global growth following last week’s worse-than-forecast gross domestic product results.
Shanghai slipped 1.36 percent and Hong Kong was 0.65 percent lower, while Tokyo was down 0.28 percent by the break and Seoul fell 0.63 percent. But Sydney rose 0.90 percent.
Banking giant HSBC said that according to preliminary data manufacturing activity in China slowed in April due to sluggish foreign demand.
Its initial purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the month came in at 50.5, from a final 51.6 in March. A reading above 50 indicates growth and anything below points to contraction. The final result will be announced on May 2.
“New export orders contracted after a temporary rebound in March, suggesting external demand … remains weak,” Qu Hongbin, a Hong Kong-based economist with HSBC, said in a release.
The result comes just over a week after official data showed the economy grew 7.7 percent in the January-March quarter, slower than the 7.9 percent in the previous three months and below the 8.0 forecast.
That news sent shivers through markets on fears for the global economy.
While regional shares were also being sold after a recent upturn, Japanese investors also took their cue from a rise in the yen.
The dollar was unable to break the 100 yen barrier on Monday after moving within a whisker of the key level, which it has not seen since April 2009.
The greenback fetched 99.23 yen in Tokyo morning trade, from 99.35 yen in New York late Monday and well down from the 99.88 yen seen earlier Monday in Asia.
But analysts said the underlying trend in dollar-yen trade was unchanged, with the Japanese currency set to resume its long slide as the Bank of Japan tries to kick-start the stagnant economy by effectively printing new money.
“A temporary resurgence in the yen is holding the market back thus far, but the overall trajectory is still lower,” said Tatsunori Kawai, chief strategist at Kabu.com Securities.
“So it’s likely to be just a matter of time before the dollar reaches the 100-yen mark.”
In other forex trade the euro eased to 129.54 yen from 129.77 yen, while the single European currency fetched $1.3052 from $1.3062.
Eyes will be on the BoJ’s next rate decision on Friday, with investors looking to see if it unveils any further stimulus measures to kickstart the economy.
On Wall Street the Dow rose 0.14 percent, the S&P 500 added 0.47 percent and the Nasdaq added 0.86 percent.
Oil prices rose, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June adding five cents to $89.24 a barrel on its first day of trade, while Brent North Sea crude for June gained a cent to $100.40.
An ounce of gold fetched $1,428.40 at 0250 GMT, compared with $1,432.35 late Monday.
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