ASIA ADVANCE, DOLLAR SUBDUED , YIELDS UP SIDE

ECONOMY

On Monday, Asian Indices started weak on a firm footing & the dollar eased as risk appetite was whetted by better-than-expected data from China that helped boost confidence about the health of the world economy.
Investors have been fretting about a global growth slowdown this year as trade disputes and tighter financial conditions hit demand.There have also been worries that weakness in key economies, including China, could spread to other countries, especially if elevated trade tensions between Beijing and Washington escalated further. That explains why investors cheered Chinese data showing exports rebounded in March to a five-month high while new bank loans jumped by far more than expected. Total bank lending in the first three months of 2019 hit a record quarterly tally of 5.81 trillion yuan ($866.7 billion).
Investors are next looking to China’s March-quarter gross domestic product data due Wednesday. All eyes are also on corporate earnings from major U.S. companies after quarterly results from JPMorgan handily beat analyst estimates last week.
Also helping sentiment, the Group of 20 industrialized nations have called for a trade truce in a sign world leaders are prepared to take action to curtail risks of a global economic slowdown.

The dollar index was a shade weaker at 96.87 against a basket of major currencies as demand for safe haven assets eased. It had slipped to a near three-week trough of 96.745 on Friday.
The Australian dollar, which is also used as a proxy for China plays, hovered near a seven-week top at $0.7173.
The euro held at $1.1311 as dealers were gearing up for demand from Japan as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial closed in on its multi-billion-euro acquisition of DZ Bank’s aviation-finance business.The common currency was also supported by encouraging data from the euro zone where industrial output in February declined by less than expected.
GBP/USD seesaws near 1.3093 as Brexit uncertainty remains in play.
The yen hovered near its lowest level this year on Monday as more signs of stabilization in the Chinese economy and an upbeat start to the U.S. earnings season prompted investors to abandon the safe-haven currency to seek higher returns elsewhere.

On Monday, Oil prices edged lower after international benchmark Brent hit a fresh five-month high in the previous session, but concerns over global supplies provided a floor to losses. As on writing , Brent crude oil futures were at $71.40 a barrel 0.2%. Brent closed up 1% on Friday when prices hit a high of $71.87 a barrel, the highest since Nov. 12. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $63.60 per barrel, 0.5%, from their last settlement. WTI rose 0.5% on Friday.
Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Friday as weakness in the ringgit helped it to reverse some losses after hitting a one-week low in the previous session.
U.S. corn and wheat futures edged higher on Friday, lifted by a late round of short-covering and worries about planting delays following a blizzard this week.