What Asian Economies and ETFs Are Getting Right
July 5th at 1:00pm by Tom Lydon
Asian markets and subsequent exchange traded funds (ETFs) are on the rebound, but recent global data only indicates stabilization, not a total recovery.
The Tankan survey of big manufactures in Japan came in at -48, up from a -58 registered three months earlier, reports Bettina Wassener for The New York Times. The negative reading still shows ubiquitous pessimism among manufacturers. Japanese companies could remain cautious in the short-term, and increase layoffs and other cost savings.
The official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) of China climbed for the fourth month in a row in June, which shows a Chinese economy expanding rather than contracting. The rises were largely aided by stimulus spending in China.
South Korea calculated that exports in June were down 11.3% year-over-year, a small silver lining compared to the 28.5% drop in May.
Many Asian economies benefited from the massive and quick stimulus measures, which helped them mitigate what could have been a long and difficult downturn.
- BLDRs Asia 50 ADR Index (ADRA): up 15.1% year-to-date
- iShares S&P Asia 50 Index (AIA): up 31% year-to-date
For more information on Asia, visit our Asia category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.
