(Bloomberg) — Asian stocks advanced and US equity futures gained on expectations President Donald Trump is on track to ease the impact of his auto tariffs, boosting hopes for further dialing down of trade tensions.
Regional Market Highlights
A regional index rose 0.4% while futures for the S&P 500 gained after a White House official said imported automobiles would be given a reprieve from separate tariffs on aluminum and steel. Hyundai Motor Co. led gains among South Korean automakers. A gauge of the dollar strengthened 0.2% while gold dropped as much as 1%. There’s no trading of cash Treasuries in Asia as Tokyo is closed for a public holiday, and they will open at the start of the European session.
The five-day rally in US stocks, the longest advance since November, faces a significant test this week amid US data from jobs to inflation and economic growth, as well as earnings from some of the biggest technology companies. Some calmness has returned to financial markets in the past week after the Trump administration’s trade policies sparked volatile trading in stocks and bonds and prompted traders to sell American assets, including the dollar.
Market Sentiment
“You have to be a bit more careful when it comes to how to position the portfolio at the moment,” Ken Wong, Asian equity portfolio specialist at Eastspring Investments, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “Every single day we’ve been getting conflicting news around what’s happening around tariffs. So as a result, we have to take a bit more of a wait-and-see approach.”
For equities to keep rallying, investors would need to see the White House follow through on the “dovish pivot” toward trade with China, according to Chris Larkin at E*Trade from Morgan Stanley.
Broader Trade Dynamics
Such a pivot looks unlikely. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the US has put China to the side for now as it seeks trade deals with between 15 to 17 other countries, while indicating it’s up to Beijing to take the first step in de-escalating the tariff fight.
China is also pushing back hard with the People’s Daily, flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, saying in a commentary Tuesday that the US should stop its wrongdoing of imposing tariffs. Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said if nations choose to remain silent, compromise and retreat, it will only lead to the bullies making further advances.
