Traders turned to upcoming US labour data for guidance amid sliding oil prices and a lull in bond selling.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.8%. Tokyo’s Nikkei was flat and currency markets were similarly steady with the dollar just off recent highs as traders looked to the labour data for guidance. “It’s hard to disentangle where people are sitting, but the market won’t want to see a strong number for sure,” said Jason Wong, strategist at BNZ in Wellington.
Surprisingly, only the beleaguered yen has showed much of a fight, since a sudden jump in the Japanese currency during London afternoon on Tuesday stoked speculation authorities had intervened.