* Asia stocks dither as govts warn of economic uncertainty
* China output misses forecasts but recovery seen intact
* Dollar, yen firm in reaction to Chinese data
* Sterling hits 13-year low against Aussie dollar
By Susan Fenton
HONG KONG, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Asian stocks struggled to eke
out gains on Tuesday as policymakers warned of lingering
economic uncertainty and data showed China's recovery may be
moderating.
The yen climbed across the board and sterling hit a 13-year
low against the Aussie dollar, while oil topped $71 a barrel.
Many Asian investors are pinning their hopes on China
leading a regional recovery as Western economies continue to
sputter, but Chinese data for July showed that although exports
rose from June, industrial output did not grow as much as
expected. []
"This data argues for some moderation in growth in Q3
versus the big gains we saw in Q2. The recovery is still on
track, at least at the headline level," said Ben Simpfendorfer,
an RBS China economist in Hong Kong.
Major European stock futures <STXEc1> were up 0.3 percent
while U.S. equity futures <SPc1> were down 0.01 percent.
Shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai recovered early losses by
lunchtime while Tokyo shares hit a 10-month closing high for a
fourth consecutive trading day.
The Nikkei <> only managed a 0.6 percent gain,
however, and investors across the region were cautious as
Japan, South Korea and Singapore all indicated that the
economic outlook was still uncertain despite some signs of
improvement.
A firmer yen put pressure on shares of Japanese exporters,
pushing car giant Honda Motor <7267.T> down 2.8 percent.
The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady at 0.1
percent, and said the economy had stopped worsening but was
still in a difficult situation. []
South Korea's central bank also kept rates on hold, with
Governor Lee Seong-tae saying it was still unclear the economy
was back on solid footing and warning that bond markets have
overpriced the chances of a rate rise.
Lee's comments sparked a rally in government debt, pushing
five-year treasury bond yields <KR5YT=KSDA> down 11 basis
points to 4.88 percent.
The MSCI Index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan
<.MIAPJ0000PUS>, which has rallied nearly 80 percent since a
global rebound in equities began on March 9, was up 0.2 percent
but blue chips were mixed.
EXPORTERS SLIDE
The yen and the U.S. dollar rose in reaction to China's
economic data, notably against the Aussie and the New Zealand
dollar <NZD=>.
The market has begun to price in tightening by the Federal
Reserve as early as February, a shift encouraged by last week's
encouraging jobs report. That has helped lift the dollar
although analysts are wary on the outlook.
"Whether a paradigm shift is taking place with regards to a
loosening in correlation between risk aversion and the U.S.
dollar is still too early to call," said Jonathan Cavenagh, a
currency strategist at Westpac in Sydney.
The greenback was at $1.4145 per euro <EUR=> against
$1.4143 late in New York, and at 96.88 yen <JPY=> from 97.08.
Sterling <GBP=> fell to a 13-year low against the
Australian dollar <AUD= at 50.9 UK pence in early Asian trade,
after slumping in overseas trade as investors fretted about the
Bank of England's shock expansion of quantitative easing last
week and possible deflationary pressures in the UK economy.
The Aussie dollar is also benefiting from market
expectations for a rate hike before the end of the year.
Singapore's stock market was the best performer in the
region, gaining 2.2 percent by early afternoon and catching up
after a public holiday. The government sprung a surprise by
upgrading its final second-quarter GDP growth but it warned
that economic recovery would be neither "quick nor strong"
[].
Shares in Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto <RIO.AX>
extended Monday's losses after China stepped up spying
allegations against the firm. The stock slid 1.1 percent even
though Australia brushed off China's report accusing the
company of overcharging and spying on Chinese steel mills
[]
South Korean chemicals maker SK Chemicals <006120.KS>
jumped 7.1 percent after its first-half operating profit nearly
doubled.
In Tokyo, shares of construction companies, including
Obayashi Corp <1802.T>, rose on expectations for reconstruction
work after mudslides in the past week and a strong earthquake
that jolted Tokyo on Tuesday. Obayashi gained 5.2 percent.
The Korean won <KRW=> fell 1 percent against the dollar and
past its 14-day moving average for the first time in nearly a
month as investors trimmed exposure to local stocks and
continued to worry about possible official intervention to curb
the currency's strength [].
Many analysts, however, see the won regaining steam as the
economy picks up.
U.S. crude oil futures rose 45 cents to $71.05 as record
Chinese oil imports and refinery production offset mixed
economic data.
