* Japanese rubber futures rose on Tuesday, tracking stronger
domestic equities, although they were still on track for a
monthly decline as lacklustre domestic factory output and global
recessionary fears continued to weigh on markets.
* The Osaka Exchange rubber contract for August delivery was up 2.6 yen, or 1.2%, at 225.4 yen ($1.65) per kg,
as of 0215 GMT.
* The benchmark contract is headed for a month-on-month
decline of
about 3%.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for
May
delivery was down 15 yuan, or 0.1%, at 12,505 yuan
($1,801) per tonne.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei share average was up
0.47% in
early trade.
* Japan's factory output shrank at the fastest pace in eight
months in January as declining overseas demand took a heavy toll
on key industries such as auto and semiconductor equipment.
* Oil prices steadied in early Asian trade on Tuesday after
falling on strong U.S. manufacturing data that raised worries
about further interest rate hikes dampening demand, while
analysts predicted another build in American crude inventories.
* The natural rubber market is hindered by weaker oil
prices,
leaving manufacturers with no incentive to shift away from
synthetic ones derived from oil, pushing the prices down.
* Asian shares nudged higher on Tuesday, tracking small
gains on
Wall Street, while the U.S. dollar paused after a sharp rally as
month-end flows lift sentiment and investors adjust to
expectations of more interest rate hikes.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for March delivery last traded at 136.4 U.S.
cents per kg, up 1%.
($1 = 136.2500 yen)
($1 = 6.9421 yuan)
(Reporting by Matthew Chye; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
SINGAPORE, Feb 28 (Reuters) -
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