Dollar Rally Gathers Pace as China Wanes, Fed Rate Increase Seen

China faltering economy is enhancing the dollar’s allure as a growth asset, driving the greenback to maintain gains that have taken it to its strongest in at least a decade. The dollar climbed for a fourth day versus Australia’s currency after China on Sunday reported exports and imports that contracted more than economists forecast, damping the outlook for nations reliant on commodity shipments. Chinese data on inflation, retail sales...

Oil Holds Losses Below $45 as China Imports Drop to 5-Month Low

Oil held losses below $45 a barrel as crude imports dropped to the lowest level in five months in China, the world’s second-biggest consumer. Futures were little changed in New York after declining 4.9 percent last week. China’s crude imports fell to about 6.23 million barrels a day in October as demand slowed and storage tanks filled, according to data Sunday from the Beijing-based General Administration of Customs. A market surplus...

Asia Stocks Swing After U.S. Payrolls, China Trade; Japan Gains

Asian stocks fluctuated after a U.S. labor report bolstered prospects of an interest-rate increase this year and Chinese export data added to headwinds facing the world’s second-largest economy. Japan’s Topix index climbed after the yen weakened. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.2 percent to 133.91 as of 9:05 a.m. in Tokyo, swinging from a loss of 0.3 percent. The Topix added 1.1 percent after the yen slid 1.1 percent against the...

Japanese Stocks Gain as Yen Weakens on Bets Fed Will Raise Rates

Japanese stocks advanced as the yen weakened against the dollar after a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report boosted the odds that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next month. The Topix index added 0.8 percent to 1,575.57 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo, extending a 14 percent surge from an eight-month low on Sept. 29. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed 0.7 percent to 19,391.84. The yen traded at 123.22 per dollar after dropping...