* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* MSCI ex-Japan off recent 6-1/2 month high
* Japan, Singapore on public holidays
* U.S. fiscal stimulus talks in focus
By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Asian stocks held tight ranges on
Monday as worries over flaring tensions between the United
States and China weighed on sentiment although signs of a
recovery in industrial activity in the world's second-largest
economy capped losses.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS see-sawed between red and green but held in
small ranges to stay below a 6-1/2 month peak touched last week.
Trading was expected to be light with Japanese and
Singaporean markets closed for public holidays.
Chinese shares started lower with the blue-chip CSI300
.CSI300 down a shade and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index .HSI
falling 0.2%.
While deteriorating Sino-U.S. relations hung heavy on
sentiment, data showing a slowing in China's factory deflation
boosted hopes of economic recovery in the world's second biggest
economy. China's industrial output is steadily returning to levels
seen before the pandemic paralysed huge swathes of the economy,
as pent-up demand, government stimulus and surprisingly
resilient exports propel a recovery. Investors were circumspect after U.S. President Donald Trump
signed two executive orders banning WeChat, owned by Chinese
tech giant Tencent 0700.HK , and TikTok in 45 days' time while
announcing sanctions on 11 Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
Rounding out the actions, U.S. regulators recommended that
overseas firms listed on American exchanges be subject to U.S.
public audit reviews from 2022.
"The bigger question for markets is whether these actions
jeopardise the U.S.-China trade talks on August 15 and markets
will be looking closely for any Chinese retaliation," said Tapas
Strickland, director of markets & economics at National
Australia Bank.
"The running assumption in markets has been President Trump
needed the phase one deal to succeed, as much as China, this
side of the November elections... At the same time President
Trump is running a hard China line into the elections,"
Strickland added.
Australian shares .AXJO bucked the trend to rise 1.2%
while South Korea's KOSPI index .KS11 jumped 0.9%. New
Zealand's benchmark index was barely changed.
In currencies, the dollar JPY= fell against the safe haven
Japanese yen to 105.78 while the risk sensitive Aussie dollar
AUD=D3 nursed its losses after falling 1.1% on Friday. FRX
The British pound GBP= rose slightly to $1.3073 but was
still below a five-month high of $1.3185 touched last week. The
euro was 0.1% higher at $1.1795 to hover near its highest since
May 2018.
That left the dollar index =USD at 93.30, having struggled
on a slippery slope since late June.
Weighing on the greenback is uncertainty over U.S. fiscal
stimulus after President Trump signed a series of executive
orders to extend unemployment benefits after talks with Congress
broke down. The orders would provide an extra $400 per week in
unemployment payments, less than the $600 per week passed
earlier in the crisis.
While analysts see the move as a cut to spending that leaves
homeowners and renters vulnerable to eviction, they are still
optimistic about the prospects for more stimulus.
"I view this as another step in negotiations rather than a
cessation of negotiations, with a still unknown timeline,"
JPMorgan analyst Andrew Tyler wrote in a note.
"If we see the White House take the view that they no longer
want to negotiate until after the election, then think we'll see
a wave of GDP downgrades followed by lower realized spending and
spikes to unemployment in September through year-end."
In commodities, gold XAU= held on to gains at $2,030 an
ounce after hitting an all-time high of $2,072.5 last week.
Oil prices were higher with Brent crude LCOc1 rising 40
cents to $44.80 a barrel. U.S. crude CLc1 added 46 cents to
$41.68.
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(Editing by Sam Holmes)