Asian markets rose Friday on easing recession fears, while there were growing hopes that Joe Biden will remove some Trump-era tariffs from Chinese goods. Buying was also boosted by reports that Beijing was considering a huge stimulus shot to the struggling economy by allowing local governments to raise billions of dollars through bond issuance for infrastructure projects.
However, surging inflation, rising interest rates and a fresh flare-up of Covid infections in Shanghai continued to keep investor sentiment grounded. Traders were handed a strong lead from Wall Street, where all three main indexes climbed for a fourth straight day, helped by two top Federal Reserve officials who said the economy could with stand sharper rate hikes and maintain growth.— AFP
