Daily Market Outlook, February 21, 2023

Asian Markets Marking Time, Waiting Lead From Wall Street

Asian equities are trading with a muted tone overnight as they lacked a lead from Wall Street given the NYSE was closed for US Presidents Day celebrations. The Nikkei and Shanghai Comp are rotating around the flatline for the session, while the Hang Seng is the standout underperformer shedding over 1.5% driven by regional tech losses. The subdued risk sentiment in Asian trade was compounded by the recent minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia, which confirmed that discussion at the most recent meeting was around the scale of a hike 25 or 50bps, with a pause not even on the table for negotiation, as the minutes confirmed the board were committed to further rate increases in the coming months, once again dashing dovish investors desires

European bourses are set to open with a softer tone this morning ahead of flash PMI prints for the Uk, Germany and the Eurozone. Stateside investor focus will be firmly on FOMC minutes released later today, markets are currently pricing a higher terminal rate circa 5.3% for July with a 2023 rate curve remaining above 5%, as investors abandon hopes of rate cuts this year. With the US inflation backdrop remaining stubbornly sticky, combined with the robustness of the employment landscape it is likely the Fed minutes will confirm that the Open Market committee are poised to keep the pedal to the metal on the higher for longer rates mantra, certainly the recent price action in the Dollar cements this view the DXY has recovered its losses for the year so far and looks poised to challenge the pivotal 105 handle, weighing on global risk sentiment, with MSCI Index the broadest Asian-Pacific gauge sitting towards six week lows after retreating 3% so far in February.