Asian markets rose Friday after a record day on Wall Street in response to Donald Trump’s tax-cut pledge, while the yen strengthened after a widely expected interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan.
In a much-anticipated speech via video link at the Davos World Forum in Switzerland, the president pushed for lower interest rates and said he would cut taxes for companies investing in the United States while imposing tariffs on those who do not.
He also called on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to lower oil prices, adding that “when the oil comes down, it’ll bring down prices” and in turn bring interest rates down.
His comments come after he said on the campaign trail that he would slash taxes, regulations and immigration while hitting key trading partners with tariffs.
That fuelled worries among some economists that he could reignite inflation and cause the Federal Reserve to pause its recent run of rate cuts, or even increase them.
US traders appeared to welcome the speech, with the S&P 500 hitting a record high, while the Dow and Nasdaq also advanced.
Asia mostly followed suit, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul and Bangkok all up, though Singapore, Wellington, Mumbai, Jakarta and Manila slipped.
Markets have enjoyed a broadly positive start to the president’s second term amid relief that while he has warned about imposing big tariffs on key partners, he has so far been less abrasive than his first four years.
Matt Burdett and Adam Sparkman at Thornburg Investment Management said that could be due to circumstances.
“Eight years ago, Trump’s aggressive trade policies were implemented against a backdrop of low inflation and low rates, creating room for bold actions,” they said in a commentary.
“Today, elevated price levels are a key concern for voters and policymakers alike. Given this reality, we question if Trump’s tariff posturing may now be aimed more at pressuring China and other foreign countries into negotiating favourable trade terms for the US.”
– Japan hikes rates –
The Bank of Japan on Friday lifted borrowing costs to their highest level since 2008 in a well-telegraphed move, with data showing another jump in inflation last month that reinforced expectations for further tightening.
“Japan’s economic activity and prices have been developing generally in line with the Bank’s outlook, and the likelihood of realising the outlook has been rising,” the bank said in a statement.
The yen rallied against the dollar after officials flagged that more increases were likely in the pipeline as inflation remains elevated and officials slowly withdraw stimulus that has kept monetary policy at ultra-loose levels for years.
