SINGAPORE, March 15 (Reuters): Philippine shares fell sharply on Monday, as rising Covid-19 cases prompted new local restrictions, while the latest rise in US bond yields quelled appetite for the region's other emerging markets.
Stocks in India and China fell more than 1%, while in South-East Asia, Singapore and Malaysia eked out gains as the $1,400 direct payments from the $1.9 trillion U.S. package make their way to households.
Yields on US 10-year Treasuries hit 13-month highs above 1.64% on Friday, sapping appetite for Asia's high-yielding bonds, and the currencies that back them, as well as for frothy equity valuations.
The region's emerging currencies dipped, with South Korea's won falling the most at 0.2%.
In the Philippines, a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases sent shares falling as much as 3.6%, their sharpest drop since August. They recovered slightly toward the end of the trading session, down 2.6%, though remained at more than four-month lows.
The spike in cases has prompted parts of the country to reimpose restrictions, including in the capital Manila.
"Sentiment is weighed down by the dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections as of late," said Jennifer Lomboy, a Manila-based fixed income fund manager at First Metro Asset.
She added that this "clouds the country's economic recovery."
Vaccine supply has also been limited in the South-East Asian nation so far, with only frontline medical staff and healthcare workers being given shots in an inoculation campaign that started this month.
Shanghai's composite index fell 1.3% and blue-chip stocks 3% on concerns that authorities may look to tighten policy to keep things from overheating. The composite index is down around 8% from February highs.
Earlier this month, the government set a relatively modest 2021 target of over 6% growth for the world's second largest economy.
Stocks in the trade-reliant economies of South Korea and Taiwan dipped, after rising sharply in recent months on global growth hopes.
The US Federal Reserve's two-day meeting will end on Wednesday, with investors on the lookout for any sign that rising inflation expectations will bring forward policy tightening. Central banks of Indonesia and Taiwan also have their policy review meetings this week.
Meanwhile, Indonesian 10-year benchmark yields up 5.1 basis points at 6.774%. - Reuters
Stocks in India and China fell more than 1%, while in South-East Asia, Singapore and Malaysia eked out gains as the $1,400 direct payments from the $1.9 trillion U.S. package make their way to households.
Yields on US 10-year Treasuries hit 13-month highs above 1.64% on Friday, sapping appetite for Asia's high-yielding bonds, and the currencies that back them, as well as for frothy equity valuations.
The region's emerging currencies dipped, with South Korea's won falling the most at 0.2%.
In the Philippines, a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases sent shares falling as much as 3.6%, their sharpest drop since August. They recovered slightly toward the end of the trading session, down 2.6%, though remained at more than four-month lows.
The spike in cases has prompted parts of the country to reimpose restrictions, including in the capital Manila.
"Sentiment is weighed down by the dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections as of late," said Jennifer Lomboy, a Manila-based fixed income fund manager at First Metro Asset.
She added that this "clouds the country's economic recovery."
Vaccine supply has also been limited in the South-East Asian nation so far, with only frontline medical staff and healthcare workers being given shots in an inoculation campaign that started this month.
Shanghai's composite index fell 1.3% and blue-chip stocks 3% on concerns that authorities may look to tighten policy to keep things from overheating. The composite index is down around 8% from February highs.
Earlier this month, the government set a relatively modest 2021 target of over 6% growth for the world's second largest economy.
Stocks in the trade-reliant economies of South Korea and Taiwan dipped, after rising sharply in recent months on global growth hopes.
The US Federal Reserve's two-day meeting will end on Wednesday, with investors on the lookout for any sign that rising inflation expectations will bring forward policy tightening. Central banks of Indonesia and Taiwan also have their policy review meetings this week.
Meanwhile, Indonesian 10-year benchmark yields up 5.1 basis points at 6.774%. - Reuters
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