Stocks swing higher as China eases quarantine rules

A man wearing a protective mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, walks past an electronic board displaying graphs (top) of Nikkei index outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

HONG KONG, June 28 (Reuters) – Asian shares swung into positive territory in afternoon trade on Tuesday, propelled by China’s decision to ease some quarantine requirements for international arrivals, with Hong Kong stocks particularly supported.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 0.5%, having spent most of the day in the red. The index has fallen 3.8% so far this month.

Health authorities said on Tuesday that China will halve to seven days its COVID-19 quarantine period for visitors from overseas, with a further three days spent at home. read more

Following the news, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index (.HSI) reversed its losses and jumped 0.85% in afternoon trade.

In China, the blue-chip CSI300 index (.CSI300) was 1% higher, also having clawed back earlier losses.

The sharp change in mood looked set to last into the global day with the pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.31%, German DAX futures 0.2% higher and FTSE futures climbing 0.47%. U.S. stock futures rose 0.46%.

“With local new infections dropping further in June, and COVID curbs to ease more, we expect the (Chinese) economy to continue to recover,” BofA said in its note. “That said, given soft domestic demand and lingering COVID uncertainties, the mending path is likely to be bumpy in the coming months.”

Market sentiment was also boosted by an official’s remarks that Beijing would roll out tools to cope with economic challenges as COVID-19 outbreaks and risks from the Ukraine war pose a threat to employment and price stability. read more

Australian shares (.AXJO) were up 0.86%, while Japan’s Nikkei stock index (.N225) rose 0.66%.

U.S. stocks ended a volatile trading session slightly lower on Monday with few catalysts to sway investor sentiment as they approach the half-way point of a year in which equity markets have been slammed by heightened inflation worries and tightening Fed policy.

Interest rate sensitive megacaps such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) were the heaviest drags on the U.S. main indexes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 0.30% and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) dropped 0.72%.

Oil continued to rise with investors still weighing worries about an economic slowdown against concerns over lost Russian supply amid sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine.

U.S. crude ticked up 1.02% to $110.69 a barrel. Brent crude rose to $116.42 per barrel.

“A seam of tight supply news bolstered the (oil) market,” said analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. “Political unrest might curtail supply from a couple of second-tier producers, Ecuador and Libya. And then there’s the G7’s proposed price cap on Russian oil.”

In bond markets, Treasury yields climbed on Monday following capital and durable goods orders data and as…