THE FALL OF ASIAN STOCK MARKETS CONTINUES, JAPANESE PRICE LISTS BAD
I Japanese price lists dragged the Asian area down on a day when the yen maintained its rally against the US dollar. The South Korean won led the advance of emerging currencies, rising 0,4% to 1.064,75 to the dollar. The New Zealand dollar also stood out, up by 0,3 per cent, thanks to the increase in the business confidence index, which reached its highest level in the last twenty years. The kiwi dollar gained 3,9% against the green currency in February, outperforming its neighbor the Aussie, which gained only 2,3%.
The index Topix it fell 0,6% for the second consecutive day while the Asian benchmark, the MSCI Asia Pacific was down 0,2%.
The market was waiting for Indian and US economic growth data for the fourth quarter. Economists also expect China's manufacturing data to drop to a 17-month low. "There's no real question," said Jonathan Barratt, chief executive officer of Barratt's Bulletin in Sydney. "The market is afraid that the US economy will not respond to expectations."
The index Kospi it fell 0,3% in Seoul, narrowing February gains to 1,7 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 had changed little, while the Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell by 0,3% to reach a monthly decline of 0,3%, the worst performer - and the only one with a negative sign in February - among those of advanced markets, according to Bloomberg calculations.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-02-27/yen-holds-gain-on-ukraine-as-s-p-500-rises-to-record-high.html
