TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Shares cling to hopes for tariff relief, bitcoin jumps

Wayne Cole (Reuters)
Sydney, Australia
Mon, March 3, 2025 Published on Mar. 3, 2025 Published on 2025-03-03T09:57:45+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Shares cling to hopes for tariff relief, bitcoin jumps Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, on April 4, 2024. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly)

A

sian share markets made guarded gains on Monday as investors waited anxiously to see if imminent tariffs would go ahead, while bitcoin surged on news it would be included in a new US strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies.

US President Donald Trump on social media announced five digital assets he expected to include in a new reserve, including bitcoin, ether, XRP, solana and cardano.

Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency by market value, shot up 10 percent to $92,905, while ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, pulled back to $2,443 after climbing 13 percent over the weekend.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan inched up 0.3 percent, while Japan's Nikkei rose 1 percent. Chinese blue chips added 0.8 percent, helped by a pick-up in the Caixin/S&P manufacturing PMI to 50.8 in February, from 50.1.

S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were both flat, having staged a late rally on Friday after a week of heavy losses.

EUROSTOXX 50 futures firmed 0.3 percent, while FTSE futures and DAX futures rose 0.6 percent.

Prospects

Every Monday

With exclusive interviews and in-depth coverage of the region's most pressing business issues, "Prospects" is the go-to source for staying ahead of the curve in Indonesia's rapidly evolving business landscape.

By registering, you agree with The Jakarta Post's

Thank You

for signing up our newsletter!

Please check your email for your newsletter subscription.

View More Newsletter

Investors seemed encouraged that European leaders agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to take to the United States, following President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's clash with Trump in the Oval Office.

Worries about the health of the US economy had also been fanned by a string of soft data that had seen the closely watched Atlanta Fed GDPNow tracker swing to an annualized -1.5 percent, from +2.3 percent, sparking talk of a possible recession.

Those fears were fanned on Sunday when US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect on Tuesday, but that Trump would determine whether to stick with the planned 25 percent level.

An extra 10 percent levy on Chinese imports is also due to come into effect this week, just as the country's National People's Congress opens its third annual session on Wednesday where stimulus measures and possible reprisals against the US could be announced.

"As with other Trump tariff announcements so far, it's hard to know if this is a bluff or a genuine turn in policy," said JPMorgan economist Michael Feroli.

"However, if it were to be realized it would create a significant new headwind to economic activity, as well as an upside support to consumer prices."

PAYROLLS LOOM

All of this raises the stakes for the January US payrolls report due on Friday, where a weak outcome would fuel market bets the Federal Reserve might have to cut interest rates three times this year.

Fed fund futures now imply 69 basis points of easing by December, compared with 46 basis points a week ago. Yields on 10-year Treasuries extended their rally with a drop to 4.220 percent, leaving them down 35 basis points in February, the largest monthly decline since late 2023.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is due to speak on the economic outlook on Friday, just a few hours after the jobs report, and at least seven other officials will appear this week.

Across the Atlantic, the European Central Bank is widely expected to cut its rates by 25 basis points to 2.50 percent on Thursday following a run of weak data, and a move under 2 percent is expected by year-end.

In currency markets, the euro edged up 0.5 percent to $1.0421 on hopes for progress in a Russian-Ukrainian peace deal, having been as low as $1.0360 on Friday.

The dollar eased back to 1.4445 Canadian dollars, after rising 1.7 percent last week, and dipped to 20.4586 Mexican pesos.

It eased a touch on the Japanese yen to 150.32 yen, while the dollar index was down slightly at 107.180.

Gold prices firmed 0.5 percent to $2,873 an ounce, having dropped around 3 percent last week.

Oil bounced a little, having slid last week amid speculation the US could ease sanctions on Russian output, while the risk of a global trade war could hit demand for energy.

Brent futures rose 76 cents to $73.57 a barrel, while US crude futures added 74 cents to $70.50 per barrel.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.