The China Mail - Stocks retreat as rebound loses legs

Asian equities however enjoyed a much-needed bounce Tuesday, with Tokyo scoring a three-decade high after a rally on Wall Street on Monday.

But US stocks could not keep the momentum going, with sentiment dampened by earnings warnings from tech sector firms including Samsung.

Eurozone stock markets slid as news of a shock contraction in German industrial output fanned fears over the health of Europe's top economy.

Crude futures also rebounded, one day after slumping following a sharp price cut by Saudi Aramco -- which fuelled concerns that supply was outstripping demand.

- 'Economic underperformance' -

Germany's industrial production unexpectedly fell 0.7 percent in November, the sixth straight monthly drop, official data showed.

Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had forecast stagnation.

"German industrial production data serves to highlight the ongoing battle underway in Europe, with the region's reliance on manufacturing playing a key role in driving economic underperformance," said Scope Markets analyst Joshua Mahony.

"Long-term deterioration (is) evident from the fact that manufacturing production in Germany now stands 13 percent below its 2017 peak," he added.

The rebound on Wall Street on Monday was due in large part to tech stocks, with the Nasdaq climbing more than two percent.

But sentiment in the sector was dampened after Samsung Electronics said it expected fourth-quarter operating profit to drop by more than a third, as the company struggles with weak demand for consumer electronics.

The Nasdaq dropped 0.7 percent at the start of trading on Tuesday.

Asian indices shot higher Tuesday, with Tokyo hitting its highest level since 1990 as traders mulled the Federal Reserve's interest-rates plans.

The outlook was given a partial boost by Monday's short-lived plunge in oil prices -- a key driver of inflation -- after Aramco announced a cut of $2 a barrel as it looks to regain lost market share.

Global equities have stumbled into the new year as a rally at the end of 2023 came to an end on worries that investors may have been too optimistic that the Fed will start cutting interest rates as soon as March.

Confidence was given a jolt last week when minutes from the bank's December policy meeting showed decision-makers were happy to keep rates at two-decade highs for some time to make sure they defeat inflation.

That was followed by a forecast-busting jobs report that showed the labour market remained in rude health, reinforcing the Fed view that there was still much work to do before officials could call mission accomplished on reducing inflation.

Investors are now looking ahead to Thursday's key US inflation data.

"If inflation was to come in hotter than expected, then this would dampen hopes that the Fed may cut rates as early as March," said Trade Nation analyst David Morrison.

Bitcoin was sitting around $46,800, having broken $47,000 on Monday for the first time since April 2022 on bets US regulators will approve exchange-traded funds that invest directly in the cryptocurrency.

- Key figures around 1430 GMT -

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 37,485.33 points

New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.5 percent 4,737.99

New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.7 percent 14,741.76

London - FTSE 100: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 7,688.67

Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 16,642.92

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,413.18

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.7 percent at 4,454.07

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 33,763.18 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 16,190.02 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 2,897.34 (close)

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0947 from $1.0950 on Monday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 143.78 yen from 144.23 yen

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2728 from $1.2748

Euro/pound: UP at 86.00 pence from 85.89 pence

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.0 percent at $77.62 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.0 percent at $72.21 per barrel

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