Asian Stocks Advance to Extend First Monthly Gain Since October

PT. Equitywolrd Futures - Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index extending its firstly monthly gain since October, as Japanese shares climbed after the yen weakened against the dollar on a drop in U.S. jobless claims.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.3 percent to 140.91 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo. The gauge has risen 2.2 percent in January, led by a surge in Hong Kong shares. The European Central Bank unveiled a plan this month to join the Bank of Japan in unprecedented monetary easing.
Japan™s Topix index rose 1 percent as the yen traded at 118.28 per dollar after falling 0.6 percent yesterday. South Korea™s Kospi index and Australia™s S&P/ASX 200 Index each gained 0.6 percent. New Zealand™s NZX 50 Index slid 0.2 percent. Markets in China and Hong Kong have yet to open.
Hong Kong™s Hang Seng Index jumped 4.2 percent this month, with Tencent Holdings Ltd. surging 20 percent amid optimism Asia™s second-largest Internet company will diversify its revenue sources. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.9 percent, as regulators curb margin lending at brokerages, after gains of 21 percent and 11 percent the previous two months.

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Gold pressured as Fed reiterates rate hike bias

PT. Equityworld Futures - Gold prices fell on Wednesday as the U.S. central bank reiterated its commitment to raising interest rates some time in the latter part of the year.
Gold for February delivery dropped $5.80, or 0.5%, to settle $1,285.90 an ounce but the precious metal pared some of its earlier losses after the Federal Reserve™s policy statement. March silver futures recovered to close flat at $18.09 an ounce.
The Fed remained upbeat about the economy, noting its œsolid growth and œstrong job gains. The central bank officials repeated that inflation is likely to reach the 2% target and that the Federal Reserve can be œpatient in tightening the monetary policy, according to the statement.
On Tuesday, gold prices enjoyed another move higher, after a sharp, unexpected fall in U.S. durable-goods orders hammered equities and spurred demand for haven plays.

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China’s Stock-Index Futures Rise Before Industrial Profits Data

PT. Equityworld Futures - China™s stock-index futures rose before the release of industrial profits data.
Futures on the CSI 300 Index expiring in February, the most active contract, gained 0.6 percent to 3,641.40 as of 9:20 a.m. local time. The statistics bureau is due to release data on December and full-year industrial profits at 9:30 a.m. Profits fell 4.2 percent in November. CSR Corp., China™s top train maker, may advance after saying it won contracts worth 21.1 billion yuan ($3.4 billion).
The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.9 percent to 3,383.18 yesterday. Hong Kong™s Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.3 percent to 12,228.16. The CSI 300 Index rose 1 percent. The Hang Seng Index gained 0.2 percent. The Bloomberg China-US Equity Index, the measure of the most-traded U.S.-listed Chinese companies, added 0.2 percent in New York.
The Shanghai index has gained 65 percent over the past year, making it the best performer among 93 global indexes tracked by Bloomberg, on speculation the central bank will ease monetary policy to support the economy. The measure is valued at 12.7 times 12-month projected earnings, the highest level since April 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The H-shares gauge has risen 20 percent during the same period.

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Gold Futures Climb After U.S. Durable Goods Orders Decline

PT. Equityworld Futures - Gold futures climbed as a slump in orders for U.S. durable goods signaled that weaker foreign economies are weighing on American expansion, boosting demand for haven assets.
Demand for all durable goods -- items meant to last at least three years -- declined 3.4 percent, the worst performance since August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Slowing expansion may prompt the Federal Reserve to hold off on raising interest rates. Policy makers will meet this week.
The metal is up more than 9 percent this year as stagnating economies challenge policy makers to generate new ways to buoy growth. The euro traded near an 11-year low against the dollar after the European Central Bank last week expanded its bond-buying program to include government bonds, boosting demand for gold as an alternative to currencies that are being revalued.
Gold futures for April delivery rose 1 percent to settle at $1,292.90 an ounce at 1:55 p.m. on the Comex in New York. Prices climbed in the previous three weeks.
Silver futures for March delivery gained 0.6 percent to $18.084 an ounce on the Comex.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, platinum futures for April delivery added 0.7 percent to $1,264.30 an ounce, while March palladium futures fell 0.1 percent to $780.75 an ounce.

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