HONG KONG (Reuters) - Asian stocks mostly rose and government bonds cut their gains on Monday, on hopes for more government rescues of limping industries and as long-term investors scooped up cheap shares.
However, oil prices dipped to within striking distance of last week's 22-month low after policymakers from both emerging and developed economies who met in Washington chose to leave individual governments to tend their own backyards.
Despite the small return of some risk taking, many economies are buckling under the worst financial crisis in 80 years, with a report on Monday confirming that Japan has joined a growing list of economies sliding into recessions.
"For the time being, hopes that China will be able to maintain its economic growth will lend some support to the Asian markets," said Louis Wong, research director with Phillip Securities in Hong Kong.
"There is still some downside risk though because the U.S. will release economic data this week and also we will have corporate earnings from companies like Lowes and Dell."
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index .HSI rose 0.4 percent in choppy trade, with shares of China Mobile (0941.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and HSBC (0005.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) leading the way higher.
Airline stocks such as Air China (601111.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(0753.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (0670.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and China Southern Airlines (600029.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (1055.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) rallied on hopes they will get government cash injections to cope with high costs and weak demand.
The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside of Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 1.4 percent, extending last week's 9.7 drop. Year-to-date losses have piled up to around 57 percent.
Tokyo's Nikkei share average .N225 recovered from early losses, rising 2.6 percent, as the yen fell and as long-term investors snapped up cheap stocks. Some of the stocks lifting the index, such as Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), were so-called defensive plays, which were expected to perform relatively well in a slowdown.
STOCKS CHEAP BUT DEMAND THIN
Many analysts were not predicted a near-term improvement in market sentiment. Financial markets and economies remained locked in a vicious circle, with weakness in one affecting the other.
Equity capital flows into developed markets over the last month were at near record lows, according to State Street Global Markets analysts. Savage selling in global stock markets has made prices very cheap but investors have not judged the coast clear enough to buy wholesale yet.
"State Streets analysis of the long-run price-earnings multiple suggests valuations are now at levels only seen in extreme periods of dislocation such as the hyperinflationary 1970s and World War Two. However, stocks can stay cheap if there is no demand to buy them," the analysts said in a note.
The yen fell against the euro and the U.S. dollar after a report showed Japan's gross domestic product shrank by 0.1 percent in the July-to-September period and government officials said the situation could worsen further.
However, with the process of widespread risk reduction still very much intact, dealers did not expect the yen to stay down for long.
