Asia markets start week with gains as Irma, N. Korea fears ease

HONG KONG: Asian markets kicked off the week with gains on Monday as concerns over North Korea eased and a killer hurricane struck Florida with less force than feared.

Traders breathed a sigh of relief that Pyongyang did not fire another missile on Saturday, choosing instead to mark its foundation day with a parade.

The news provided some much-needed cheer for markets after last week's sell-off sparked by Kim Jong-Un's nuclear test, with safe-haven assets such as the yen and gold retreating on Monday and the dollar picking up.

The greenback had already come in for a pounding in recent weeks on waning expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and doubts about Donald Trump's chances of pushing through his market-friendly economic policies.

However, it bounced back on Monday, surging back above 108 yen from Friday's 10-month lows, while it also clawed back against the euro.

"The dollar is on a slightly better footing in early trade as the as North Korea headline risk has cooled a bit from last week's fevered pitch," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA.

"With little lack of geopolitical headline escalation over the weekend, traders are nimbly unwinding some NK over hedges in early trade but are still on headline watch."

On equity markets the weaker yen helped Japan's Nikkei end the morning 1.4 percent higher, while Hong Kong jumped one percent and Shanghai added 0.4 percent.

Sydney piled on 0.7 percent, with Seoul 0.9 percent higher and Singapore 0.3 percent up. There were also gains for Wellington and Manila.

- 'Complicated' rates outlook -

Traders are still keeping an eye on Hurricane Irma, which is battering Florida but with relatively weaker winds than those that flattened parts of the Caribbean.

Millions have been left without power and many have fled the south of the state, while US forecaster AccuWeather said Sunday the economic cost of Irma and Harvey, which hammered Texas and Louisiana last month, could hit $290 billion.

And analysts said the recovery could cause another headache for the Fed as its policymakers decide whether to lift borrowing costs for a third time this year.

Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, pointed out that New York Fed chief Bill Dudley had said it was too early to know when the bank will tighten rates again.

"His comments on the two Hurricanes complicating the outlook for rates was an important departure from what's been his usually hawkish bent," McKenna said.

"It's another indication that things have become a little more complicated for the Fed as it seeks to normalise rates."

On oil markets, prices picked up after taking a beating Friday on concerns that demand in Florida, one of the biggest crude consumers in the US, would be hit.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) sank 3.3 percent Friday while Brent slid 1.3 percent.

- Key figures around 0230 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: 1.4 percent at 19,541.36 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.0 percent at 27,952.74

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,377.72

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.2005 from $1.2030 at 2115 GMT on Friday

Dollar/yen: UP at 108.49 yen from 107.83 yen

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3182 from $1.3196

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 36 cents at $47.84 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 25 cents at $54.03

New York - DOW: UP 0.1 percent at 21,797.79 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,377.60 (close)