By Yumi Teso
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia’s ringgit and Indonesia’s rupiah
lead Asian currencies higher, with regional equities set to snap
seven-day loss; sovereign bonds rise in New Zealand and
interest-rate swaps fall in China.
* Offshore yuan set to advance for fifth straight day; China’s
exports rose 2.3% in December from year earlier versus
median estimate for 4.1% decline; imports fell 4% compared
with forecast 7.9% slide; yuan exchange rate should be
determined by onshore market: Economic Information Daily;
one-way expectation on yuan is dangerous: 21st Century
Business Herald; some banks ran short of dollar bills for
cash withdrawals, 21st Century Business Herald reports
* Kiwi advances versus dollar; New Zealand’s house-price
inflation slowed to 14.2% in December from near-10 year high
of 15.0% prior month
* Yen weakens; Bank of Japan and People’s Bank of China said
to negotiate resumption of swap arrangement in event of
financial crisis, Reuters reports
* Won strengthens; South Korea’s jobless rate was 3.4% in
December, same as November and versus median estimate for
3.5%; new Finance Minister Yoo and Bank of Korea Governor
Lee to meet on Jan. 15
* U.S. Treasuries drop, with yield on 10-year bonds rising 3
bps to 2.135% in Asian trading
* Peso gains; Philippine tax agency targets 2t peso ($42b)
revenue this year, 21% higher than 2015 collection goal,
BusinessWorld reports; also says government plans as much as
3.5t-peso budget for 2017
WHAT THEY PREDICT:
* Deutsche Bank bearish on won and cautious about extending
duration in Korean rates, as portfolio outflows weaken
demand for bonds this year, according to Jan. 12 note;
recommends long USD/KRW with target 1,300; BOK has room to
stay on hold, continuing to promote weaker won; yield
differential between 10-year Korea and U.S. Treasury bonds
unlikely to deviate more substantially; BOK governor wary
yield inversion at 5-year point could trigger sharp capital
outflows
* Yen’s performance is driven by two variables: evolution of
risk and U.S. rate expectations, Morgan Stanley says in Jan.
12 note; increasing likelihood that both could soon point to
lower USD/JPY
* Citigroup doesn’t expect Malaysia rate cut in 2016 because
weak MYR is already easing monetary conditions and policy
makers reiterated official 2016 GDP forecasts of 4%-5%,
according to note on Jan. 12; MYR may find support from
attractive valuations, but risks stem from lower oil prices
and spillovers from a weak CNY