Emas Kembali Meningkat Jelang Rilis Data Pekerjaan Bulanan

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Emas rebound dari level terendah dalam enam pekan terakhir jelang rilis data pekerjaan bulanan pada akhir pekan ini yang dapat memberikan petunjuk tentang kapan Federal Reserve akan meningkatkan suku bunga.

Bullion untuk pengiriman segera ditransaksikan pada level $1,187.38 per ons pukul 8:45 pagi di Singapura dari level $1,188.33 pada hari Senin kemarin, harga emas naik 0,8 persen, menurut harga generik Bloomberg. Logam jatuh ke level $1,170.52 pada tanggal 1 Mei, level terendah sejak 20 Maret lalu. Emas di Shanghai naik.

Pedagang sedang menunggu laporan payrolls April AS pada hari Jumat terkait waktu kemungkinan kenaikan biaya pinjaman pasca rilis data ekonomi yang bervariasi selama bulan lalu. Presiden The Fed Bank of Chicago Charles Evans mengatakan pada hari Senin bahwa bank sentral harus menunggu lebih banyak bukti bahwa upah meningkat sebelum menaikkan suku bunga. Dua pejabat The Fed mengatakan pekan lalu The Fed bersiap untuk meningkatkan suku bunga di setiap pertemuan.

Pengusaha di AS menambah 230.000 pekerja pada bulan April, naik dari 126.000 di bulan Maret, menurut estimasi median dalam survei Bloomberg sebelum laporan dari Departemen Tenaga Kerja. Tingkat pengangguran dapat turun menjadi 5,4 persen dari 5,5 persen.

Suku bunga yang lebih tinggi mendorong investor untuk mendukung aset yang membayar bunga, seperti obligasi, sehingga meredam daya tarik emas sebagai penyimpan nilai, karena umumnya menawarkan pengembalian hanya melalui kenaikan harga. The Fed mengatakan pekan lalu mereka mengharapkan peningkatan ekonomi pasca pertumbuhan tertahan pada kuartal pertama.

Emas untuk pengiriman Juni ditransaksikan pada level $1,186.90 di Comex dari level $1,186.80 pada hari Senin, ketika harga naik 1,1 persen. Bullion kemurnian 99,99 persen naik 0,4 persen menjadi 237,88 yuan per gram ($1,191.32 per ons) pada Shanghai Emas Bursa. (izr)

Sumber: Bloomberg

Aussie Holds Worst Losing Run in Month on Bets RBA to Cut Rates

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Australia’s dollar held its longest losing streak in a month as investors bet the central bank will decide to cut interest rates that are already at a record low.

Swaps markets give better than 70 percent odds the Sydney-based Reserve Bank of Australia will lower the cash rate target on Tuesday to 2 percent from 2.25 percent, according to Bloomberg data. Twenty-five of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg also predicted a quarter-point reduction. Traders will be hoping they are third time lucky after incorrectly wagering on rate cuts at each of the previous two policy meetings.

Australia’s currency was little changed at 78.43 U.S. cents as of 10:10 a.m. in Sydney, following a four-day losing streak that saw it tumble 2.3 percent. It rose as high as 80.76 cents on April 29, a level unseen since Jan. 22.

The greenback traded at 120.12 yen from 120.13 in New York. It was unchanged at $1.1146 per euro. Japanese markets are closed through Wednesday for public holidays.

Pressure has built for more RBA stimulus amid weaker prices for iron ore, the country’s biggest export earner. The steelmaking ingredient is down about 60 percent from last year’s high, even after a 19 percent climb from its low on April 2.

The RBA board will see updated quarterly forecasts at Tuesday’s policy meeting, before the central bank publishes those estimates on May 8. In February, when Governor Glenn Stevens cut the cash rate for the first time in 18 months, he cited the downgrade in growth forecasts in that month’s Statement on Monetary Policy.

Source : Bloomberg

Hong Kong Stocks Open Up 0.52%

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Hong Kong stocks gained 0.52 percent Tuesday, as a strong performance on Wall Street provided momentum for a second day.

The Hang Seng index added 145.85 points to 28,269.67 shortly after the opening bell.

Chinese shares were slightly lower in early trade, as new share issues created tighter market liquidity, dealers said.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.26 percent, or 11.53 points, to 4,468.93.

The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, slipped 0.27 percent, or 6.26 points, to 2,275.40.

Source : AFP

Asian Stocks Follow U.S. Shares Higher as Investors Await RBA

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Asian stocks outside of Japan rose for a second day following a rally in U.S. equities and as investors await an interest-rate decision by Australia’s central bank.

The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index rose 0.2 percent to 515.88 as of 9:32 a.m. in Hong Kong. Markets in Japan, South Korea and Thailand are closed Tuesday for holidays. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index neared a record in New York on Monday as earnings from Comcast Corp. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. beat estimates and data showed strength in the U.S. economy. E-mini futures on the S&P 500 were little changed.

Source : Bloomberg

China’s Stock-Index Futures Drop Amid Market-Cooling Speculation

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China’s stock-index futures fell amid speculation there may be more market-cooling measures after the benchmark index rallied the most among global equity gauges.

Futures on the CSI 300 Index expiring in May, the most active contract, lost 0.3 percent to 4,746.60 as of 9:22 a.m. local time. Huaxia Bank Co. may be active after the lender said a vice president is being investigated. China Vanke Co. may advance after reporting a 39 percent jump in April sales.

The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.9 percent to 4,480.47 on Monday. Huatai Securities Co. and Tebon Securities Co. raised requirements for margin trading and short selling to control risks, the Shanghai Securities News reported, without citing anyone. China may increase the stamp tax on stock trading to boost fiscal revenue, the Securities Times reported, citing a research note from Changjiang Securities Co.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng China Enterprises Index advanced 0.2 percent. The CSI 300 Index rose 0.8 percent. The Hang Seng Index lost less than 0.1 percent. The Bloomberg China-US Equity Index added 1.3 percent in New York.

The Shanghai Composite has advanced 39 percent this year, extending last year’s 53 percent rally, on expectations the government will extend interest rate cuts and speed up mergers of state-owned enterprises.

Source : Bloomberg