Asian stock markets shuddered lower on Friday after shockingly weak export data from China heightened market fears about a global economic slowdown, a day after European policymakers slashed growth forecasts for the bloc.
Asian stock Markets
- Japan’s Nikkei dropped 2.0 percent.
- Australia shares dropped 0.9 percent.
- MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan skidded 1.2 percent to a two-week trough.
- E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 eased 0.2 percent.
Currency
- The greenback reached a new 2019 high against a basket of currencies, before steadying at 97.537.
- The euro cowered at $1.1198.
- The euro also shed over 1 percent on the yen overnight and was last trading at 124.57 yen.
- The safe-harbour Japanese currency was one of the few to hold its own on the dollar, firming to 111.28.
Commodities
In commodity markets, the rise in the dollar restrained gold
- Gold traded at $1,287.86 per ounce.
- Oil prices eased as U.S. crude output and exports climbed to record highs, undermining efforts by producer club OPEC to tighten global markets.
- U.S. crude was last down 38 cents at $56.28 a barrel.
- Brent crude fell 49 cents to $65.81.
