TOKYO, Feb 27 (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar strengthened in early Asian trading hours on Thursday as Treasury yields edged higher, while investors evaluated the outlook for tariffs and the economy under President Donald Trump. Asian stocks showed mixed performance, with tech shares receiving little direction from U.S. chipmaker Nvidia’s earnings report. Cryptocurrency bitcoin remained below $85,000, while safe-haven gold stayed steady, about $40 below its record high, amid fragile market sentiment due to trade war concerns. Trump added uncertainty to the tariff situation by suggesting levies on Canada and Mexico would take effect on April 2, extending the deadline another month. However, a White House official later stated that the March 2 deadline remained in effect “as of this moment,” adding to the confusion about U.S. trade policy. U.S. two-year Treasury yields rose to 4.09%, recovering from a November low of 4.065%. The 10-year yield increased to 4.2772% from Wednesday’s low of 4.245%. The dollar and U.S. yields have faced pressure recently due to weak economic indicators and concerns over Trump’s tariffs. Traders have increased bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, now expecting two quarter-point reductions this year, likely in July and October. Markets await GDP and durable orders data on Thursday for signs of a slowdown, while the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation rate is due on Friday. “Markets are starting to feel less confidence about U.S. growth,” said Shoki Omori, chief global desk strategist at Mizuho Securities. U.S. Nasdaq futures were steady after a 0.3% rise overnight, while S&P 500 futures were little changed. IG analyst Jun Rong Yeap noted that Nvidia’s earnings report came with less volatility than expected, keeping sentiment calm. Bitcoin was steady at $84,742 after a more than 11% drop this week. Gold was little changed at $2,912 per ounce. Crude oil prices edged up from two-month lows following a surprise increase in U.S. fuel stockpiles. Brent crude added 0.26% to $72.72 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 0.23% to $68.78. — news from Reuters
