Tokyo - Asian shares edged up on Wednesday
as investors covered short positions and looked to the upcoming
policy meeting of the European Central Bank for comfort after a
referendum defeat tipped Italy into political turmoil.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
rose 0.25 percent while Japan's Nikkei
gained 0.4 percent.
Australian shares rose 0.7 percent despite data
showing the economy contracted in the third quarter. While rate
futures imply scant chance of another interest rate cut
in the next few months, all thought of a hike has also vanished.
The MSCI's broadest gauge of the world's stock markets
rose to its highest level in almost two months,
having risen 3.4 percent from its November low.
"After the Brexit and the US election, I think financial
markets have learned that even if they see a result that is not
necessarily in line with their values, markets will quickly
recover as its economic impact is either negligible or will take
time to appear," said Tatsushi Maeno, senior strategist at
Okasan Asset Management.
Maeno was referring to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's
resignation soon after suffering a resounding defeat on Sunday
in a referendum over constitutional reform, leaving the euro
zone's third-largest economy in political limbo.
Among the biggest winners during the past 24 hours were
Italian shares, which rose 4.2 percent to 5-1/2-month highs
while French shares rose to 11-month highs.
Italian banks, at the centre of markets' focus,
saw their shares rising 9.0 percent for their biggest rally in
five months on Tuesday, which investors largely attributed to
short covering.
The rally came despite fears that the political vacuum could
jeopardise a rescue plan for Monte dei Paschi di Siena
, the country's third largest lender and rated the
weakest in European stress tests earlier this year.
Political uncertainty is hardly disappearing with Angelino
Alfano, interior minister in Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's
outgoing government, saying a new election could be held as soon
as February.
"Politics remains a potential risk. But there's perhaps
realisation that it is only the President who can dissolve the
parliament after all and he is unlikely to do that now," said
Toru Nishihama, senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research
Institute.
Italian government bond yield also fell to three-week lows
as the focus turned to expectations the ECB would contain any
financial-market fallout when it meets on Thursday.
The ECB had already been expected to change the terms of its
asset-purchase programme to alleviate a shortage of bonds and to
extend the programme beyond its current end date in March 2017.
The euro fetched $1.0717, slipping from Monday's
half-month high of $1.0797 but still well above 20-month lows of
$1.0505 touched in the wake of Italy's referendum.
"We expect the ECB to extend its asset purchase programme by
six months, which I believe is in line with market expectations.
But if there is any sign of tapering, that should boost the euro
given that there is still big short positions in the currency,"
said Junya Tanase, chief currency strategist at JPMorgan Chase
Bank.
The euro also got some support as the dollar's rally since
the U.S. Presidential election has lost steam.
The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies
was fractionally lower, and has now fallen about
1.5 percent from a 13-1/2-year peak hit on Nov. 24.
Against the yen, the dollar stood at 114.11 yen,
below its 9-1/2-month high of 114.83 yen set last week.
The Australian dollar fell half a cent after GDP data showed
the economy shrank for the first time in over five years as
businesses, consumers and government all cut back on spending,
an unexpected blow that will challenge policymakers' optimism
for growth.
Oil prices extended losses after having eased on Tuesday for
the first time since OPEC agreed on Nov. 30 to cut output.
Data showing record high production in the producer group
fed scepticism that it would be able to reduce supplies.
US crude futures dropped 0.8 percent to $50.52 per
barrel, off Monday's high of $52.42. But they are still up more
than 11 percent from just before the OPEC reached its first
output cut agreement since 2008.