* Graphic: World FX rates tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
* BoT decision due around 0700 GMT
* Indonesia Q1 GDP -0.74%
* India cenbank announces support measures
* SG shares slump for fourth day
By Anushka Trivedi
May 5 (Reuters) - The Thai baht eased while shares tumbled
almost 2% ahead of the central bank's policy review on
Wednesday, while Indian equities jumped as the country's central
bank announced measures for lenders and small businesses amid a
devastating COVID-19 wave.
In a data-packed day for Asia, most currencies traded flat
to higher against the U.S. dollar, while Philippines and
Singapore shares slid and Taiwan's were up 0.5%.
Trading volumes were thin due to holidays in major finance
hubs China and Japan.
The baht fell 0.2% and shares declined to
their worst day in three-months on resuming trade after holidays
this week as the trade-and-tourism-reliant economy battles a
deadly wave of COVID-19 infections.
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is expected to leave its key rate
at a record low of 0.50%, with analysts widely forecasting no
change to rates for the rest of the year but the central bank is
expected to provide fiscal support measures such as buying
government bonds.
The baht, already Asia's worst performing currency this
year, is expected to remain weak in the coming months
considering the pressure to its current account from a
disruption to exports, Han Tan, market analyst at FXTM said.
"Ultimately, a weaker baht would serve as a tailwind once
foreign tourism can be restored to bolster its economic
recovery."
Financials lifted India's NSE Nifty 50 0.6% as the
central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das, in an unscheduled
address, said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to
provide fresh debt moratoriums to some small borrowers.
Businesses in India have been hit hard by the new round of
lockdowns over the past month to curb the spread of the virus
just as many were inching back to normalcy from the nationwide
lockdown last year.
The Indian rupee was little changed at 73.84 per
dollar.
The Indonesian rupiah pared early losses to trade
flat as the Southeast Asia's largest economy reported a 0.74%
contraction in the first-quarter, in line with forecasts and
moderating from a sharper drop in the previous quarter.
Singapore shares lost 0.9%, slumping for fourth day
as the city-state's COVID-19 crisis escalated on recording
locally acquired cases of coronavirus variants which led to
tighter curbs.
Financial markets in South Korea were shut due to a holiday.
HIGHLIGHTS
** India 10-YR benchmark yield dips to
6.0062%
** Thailand's 10-year government bond yields are down 2
basis points at 1.65%
** Top losers on the Singapore STI include: Ascendas
Real Estate Investment Trust down 3.9% and Singapore
Airlines Ltd down 2.6%
Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0433 GMT
COUNTRY FX RIC FX DAILY FX YTD % INDEX STOCKS DAILY % STOCKS YTD %
%
Japan +0.03 -5.54 0.00 4.99
India +0.08 -0.98 0.46 4.16
Indonesia +0.00 -2.67 0.20 -0.05
Malaysia +0.17 -2.26 -0.12 -2.51
Philippines +0.02 +0.04 -0.40 -11.29
Singapore +0.09 -1.04 -0.85 10.84
Taiwan +0.03 +1.93 0.60 15.63
Thailand -0.16 -3.94 -1.37 7.74
(Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim
Coghill)
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