Singapore Dollar, Asia Stocks Advance as Recovery Accelerates
By Shani Raja
April 14 (Bloomberg) -- The Singapore dollar strengthened after the nation’s central bank revalued its currency, leading gains in Asia as economic reports showed the region is fueling the global rebound. Technology shares led stocks higher after Intel Corp.’s sales forecast beat analysts’ estimates.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore revalued its currency, sending it 1.2 percent higher against the dollar to S$1.3763 as the government said the economy will expand as much as 9 percent this year. South Korea’s won jumped 1.1 percent versus the dollar. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.7 percent to 128.35 at 4 p.m. in Tokyo. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures rose 0.3 percent and the Stoxx Euro 600 climbed 0.3 percent to 269.53.
Accelerating growth in Singapore and the biggest drop in Korean unemployment in a decade underscored Asia’s leadership in the global recovery, with China’s first-quarter economic growth data due for release tomorrow. South Korea’s government bond ratings were upgraded from A2 to A1 at Moody’s. Intel’s forecast increased optimism as the U.S. earnings season starts.
“Companies are demonstrating that economic conditions are improving, while the data is still pointing to an ongoing theme of recovery,” said Prasad Patkar, who helps oversee $1.9 billion at Platypus Asset Management Ltd. in Sydney. “You now need to watch the underlying performance of the global economy once all the stimulus has washed through.”
DBS Advances
Singapore’s Straits Times Index advanced to crack the 3,000 level for the first time since June 2008, gaining as much 1.5 percent. The city-state raised its 2010 economic forecast for the second time this year. The previous prediction was for growth of as much as 6.5 percent. DBS Group Holdings Ltd., Southeast Asia’s biggest lender, climbed 5 percent.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News estimated China’s economy probably grew 11.7 percent in the first quarter, the fastest pace in almost three years. Property prices in China rose at a record pace in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said today on its Web site.
South Korea’s Kospi stock index rose 1.5 percent after the nation’s unemployment rate declined to 3.8 percent in March from 4.4 percent in February. The won appreciated to 1,112.15 per dollar. The rating upgrade for the nation’s debt “has been prompted by Korea’s demonstration of an exceptional level of economic resilience to the global crisis, while containing the government’s budget deficit,” Tom Byrne, a senior vice president at Moody’s, said in a statement.
Samsung Gains
KB Financial Group Inc. gained 4.5 percent and Shinhan Financial Group Co. added 3.1 percent. Samsung Electronics Co., the largest computer-memory chipmaker, climbed 2.1 percent after Intel forecast second-quarter revenue at $10.2 billion, plus or minus $400 million. Analysts had estimated $9.72 billion, according to a Bloomberg survey. Intel posted its earnings and forecast after U.S. markets closed and its shares rose as much as 3.6 percent in extended trading.
Tokyo Electron Ltd., the world’s second-largest maker of semiconductor equipment and an Intel supplier, jumped 3.6 percent after the company said orders climbed. Unisem Bhd., Malaysia’s biggest semiconductor packaging and test-services company, advanced 4.7 percent.
Malaysia’s ringgit followed the Singapore dollar higher, climbing 0.9 to 3.1958. The Thai baht strengthened 0.3 percent to 32.25, the strongest level since May 2008.
“Finally, Singapore’s GDP release represents the start of a series of strong Asian first-quarter numbers which will emphasize that central banks across the region have fallen significantly behind the curve,” said Robert Prior-Wandesforde, an economist at HSBC in Singapore.
Metals Climb
Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.8 percent to $7,960 a metric ton. Aluminum rose 0.7 percent to $2,453 a ton.
The yen weakened for a fifth day against the euro, the longest losing streak in three months, as signs the global economy is recovering boosted demand for riskier assets.
“Risk appetite is improving, buoyed by solid economic data and corporate profits,” said Norihiro Tsuruta, chief strategist in Tokyo at Shinko Research Institute Ltd. ’’This will encourage a fund allocation shift away from the yen.’’
The Japanese currency fell against 15 of its 16 most-traded counterparts, declining 0.5 percent to 127.51 per euro. Europe’s single currency strengthened to $1.3647 in Tokyo from $1.3614 in New York yesterday.
Kiwi Drops
New Zealand’s dollar weakened against all major peers as a government report showed retail sales unexpectedly dropped in February, adding to signs the central bank will keep interest rates at a record low. New Zealand’s dollar fell 0.3 percent to 71.165 U.S. cents and 0.2 percent to 66.49 yen.
The cost of protecting Japanese corporate bonds from default was on course to fall to its lowest level since June 2008, with the Markit iTraxx Japan index dropping 2 basis points to 85 basis points, according to Deutsche Bank AG and CMA DataVision in New York. Indicators of corporate credit risk also fell in Australia and Asia.
Investors use the default-swap indexes to hedge against losses on corporate debt or speculate on creditworthiness, and the swaps typically fall as investor confidence increases.
The Markit iTraxx Asia index of 50 investment-grade borrowers outside Japan dropped 1 basis point to 89.5 basis points, while the Markit iTraxx Australia index fell 2 basis points to 77.5 basis points, Deutsche Bank prices show. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.
Crude oil snapped five days of declines as a drop in the dollar made commodity investments more attractive. Oil rebounded from earlier lows today to trade at $84.34 a barrel in New York, up 0.4 percent.
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