* Japanese rubber futures climbed on Wednesday, as fears of
a
banking turmoil waned, while traders awaited the U.S. Federal
Reserve's interest rate decision.
* The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for August
delivery was up 2.1 yen, or 1.0%, at 207.1 yen ($1.56)
per kg as of 0203 GMT.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange
(SHFE) for
May delivery was up 15 yuan, or 0.13%, at 11,690 yuan
($1,699.50) per tonne.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened up 1.31%.
* Shares of U.S. regional lenders including battered First
Republic Bank surged on Tuesday, as fears of a wider banking
crisis abated and investors turned their focus to the Fed's next
move due later in the day.
* The U.S. Federal Reserve began a two-day meeting on
Tuesday,
with some top central bank watchers saying it could well pause
further rate hikes given recent trouble among banks or even
delay releasing new economic projections because the outlook is
so clouded.
* Japan's government will allocate more than 2
trillion
yen ($15 billion) from reserve funds in the current fiscal
year's budget for steps to cushion the economic blow from rising
inflation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.
* Asian shares staged a cautious bounce, as hopes that a
global
banking crisis would be averted warred with uncertainty over the
outlook for U.S. rates.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for April delivery last traded at 131.3 U.S.
cents per kg, up 0.5%.
($1 = 132.6100 yen)
($1 = 6.8785 yuan)
(Reporting by Carman Chew; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
SINGAPORE, March 21 (Reuters) -
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.