Rising Markets-Asian shares, Fx tumble as new COVID-19 strain triggers lockdown fears

    * Graphic: Globe Forex costs tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
    * S. Korean received marks 3-wk low, shares plunge
    * Thai central bank meeting awaited on Wednesday
    * Travel and industrial stocks tumble in Asia

    By Anushka Trivedi
    Dec 22 (Reuters) - Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore
shares slumped up to 2% on Tuesday, dragged down by export and
travel focussed shares on escalating concerns about feasible
lockdowns due to a new speedy-spreading COVID-19 strain.
    Malaysia and Singapore shares have been on observe
to tumble for a fourth straight session, when the Jakarta index
 saw its worst working day in a few months as far more countries shut
their doorways to travellers from the Uk right after the detection of a
hugely virulent strain of the virus.   
    "You will find a whole lot of cash that went into leisure since
every person jumped on the vaccine bandwagon. So of course that is
heading to be a person of the pawns instantly place in enjoy on these
destructive headlines," claimed Stephen Innes, main global current market
strategist at Axi.  
    The leaders in the produced environment will be a lot more inclined to
impose stricter lockdowns for the next four months and that is
extremely relating to, Innes extra.
    The new virus pressure was detected in Australia on Monday,
though Hong Kong and India reported they would suspend flights from
Britain. 
    Most of the trade- and tourism-reliant stock indexes fell in
the location, with South Korea's KOSPI plunging 1.5% as
the nation battled a rise in infections and imposed new curbs.
The won gave up .5% to hit a 3-7 days lower.

    Before this 12 months, the island-country was lauded for its
managing of the first two waves of the virus. The gained has been
amongst the top performing currencies but has fallen 1.7% soon after
new virus cases were claimed about two-months back.
    The Thai baht eased .3% a working day in advance of the Bank of
Thailand's very first assembly considering that the central financial institution intervened
previously this thirty day period in the overseas exchange marketplaces to curb the
currency's rapid rise. 
    Analysts at Normal Chartered claimed in a observe that there was
confined room for the country's central financial institution to simplicity fees, even
future calendar year. Alternatively, it might revise its 2021 development forecasts as
the financial state remains weak.
    A surge in instances more than the weekend linked to an outbreak at a
 seafood centre also clouded Thailand's financial outlook as it
threatened to problem the country's initiatives at reviving
tourism.
    Other regional currencies weakened from a broadly
stronger buck, with the Malaysian ringgit, the
Indonesian rupiah and the Singapore greenback
dropping .3% each.

HIGHLIGHTS
    
    ** Indonesian 10-12 months benchmark yields are up
9.2 foundation factors at 6.13%
    ** Best losers on the Singapore benchmark are:
Singapore Airlines, down 4.3% and SATS Ltd,
down 3.4%
    ** Top rated losers on the Malaysia benchmark are: Genting
Malaysia Bhd down 4.7% and Genting Bhd down
4.4% 

 Asia stock indexes and currencies at                                                    
 0658 GMT                                                                   
 State      Fx RIC       Forex Every day %   Fx YTD %    INDEX   Stocks Everyday %   Shares YTD %
 Japan                          -.14      +4.99                     -1.04          11.75
 China                          -.02      +6.28                     -1.63          10.31
 India                          -.19      -3.43                     -.62           8.85
 Indonesia                      -.32      -1.87                     -1.68          -3.77
 Malaysia                       -.27      +.71                     -1.22           2.45
 Philippines                    +.05      +5.29                     -.31          -7.84
 S.Korea                        -.42      +4.42                     -1.62          24.39
 Singapore                      -.30      +.61                     -1.20         -12.74
 Taiwan                         +1.32      +6.96                     -1.44          18.17
 Thailand                       -.33      -.93                      1.21         -10.20
 


 (Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru, additonal reporting
by A K Pranav Enhancing by Anil D'Silva)