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Emerging Markets in Grip of China’s Yuan More Than Ever

The correlation between the yuan and developing-nation stocks is holding near records reached in the past two months.

Emerging Markets in Grip of China’s Yuan More Than Ever
A man holds wooden chopsticks above a plate of Chinese one-hundred yuan banknotes on a black background in this arranged photograph in Hong Kong, China. (Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- The fate of emerging-market stocks and currencies has never been so closely tied to the Chinese yuan. And it’s in large part because of the trade war.

The correlation between the yuan and developing-nation stocks and currencies is holding near the unprecedented levels reached in the past two months. While some of that can be attributed to the increasing influence of the Chinese economy in global trade, it’s also because the U.S.-China trade war is increasingly dictating sentiment toward risk assets on any given day.

Emerging Markets in Grip of China’s Yuan More Than Ever

“The yuan’s moves directly reflect the market’s optimism or pessimism toward the U.S.-China trade dispute,” said Masakatsu Fukaya, an emerging-market currency trader at Mizuho Bank Ltd. in Tokyo.

Trade optimism has grown again, with Chinese working-level trade officials scheduled to travel to the U.S. this week ahead of a meeting of top negotiators in October. U.S. officials have discussed offering a limited trade agreement to China that would delay and even roll back some U.S. tariffs.

--With assistance from Yumi Teso.

To contact the reporter on this story: Karl Lester M. Yap in Manila at kyap5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tomoko Yamazaki at tyamazaki@bloomberg.net, Joanna Ossinger, Andreea Papuc

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.