Asia stocks rise; China volatile amid fiscal stimulus talk, weak inflation

Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks crept higher on Monday, while Chinese markets clocked wild swings after Beijing offered somewhat middling cues on its plans to dole out fiscal stimulus, as inflation data from the country underwhelmed.

Asian trading volumes were somewhat sluggish on account of a Japan market holiday.

Regional markets took positive cues from Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit record highs on Friday tracking some positive earnings from major banks.

Focus this week is on more third-quarter earnings, as well as addresses from a string of Federal Reserve officials.

China stocks volatile as markets weigh stimulus, weak inflation

Chinese stocks clocked wild swings in morning trade, with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes sharply paring early gains to trade about 0.2% higher by 22:05 ET (02:05 GMT). Both indexes rose as much as 2%.

China’s finance ministry said over the weekend that it will roll out fiscal stimulus measures, including more debt issuances and support for provincial governments.

But officials left out key details, specifically the scope and timing of the planned measures, which dampened overall enthusiasm over the measures.

Analysts at ANZ said the measures will “significantly increase government debt.”

Investors are doubtful over just how much headroom Beijing has to enact fiscal stimulus, given the country’s already stretched debt levels.

Economic data from China showed sustained weakness. Consumer inflation unexpectedly weakened in September, while producer inflation shrank for a 23rd consecutive month.

Mixed sentiment towards China was better reflected in Hong Kong markets, with the Hang Seng tumbling more than 2% in volatile trade.

Chinese stocks were sitting on strong gains over the past few weeks, after Beijing announced a fresh round of monetary stimulus in late-September. But a lack of clear details on the planned measures saw this rally peter out in recent sessions.

Chinese trade data due later on Monday is set to offer more economic cues.

Asia stocks track Wall St gains

Broader Asian markets advanced, tracking a positive session on Wall Street. Australia’s ASX 200 added 0.4%, also taking some support from the prospect of increased stimulus in China, which is the country’s biggest trading partner.

Nikkei 225 Futures fell 0.4%, with Japanese markets closed for a holiday.

South Korea’s KOSPI added 0.4%, while futures for India’s Nifty 50 index pointed to a negative open, as the index struggled to hold around the 25,000 point level.

Indian consumer inflation data is due later in the day, and is expected to show a sharp increase for September.

This article first appeared in Investing.com