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MSCI Asia ex-Japan hits lowest levels this year

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Treasury yields rise, lifting dollar, weighing on gold, oil

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Yen at nine-month low as traders eye intervention cues

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Futures indicated European stocks set for lower open

By Ankur Banerjee

SINGAPORE, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Asian shares sank to nine-month lows on Thursday, while the dollar was at a two-month peak as fears over China's sluggish economic recovery and concerns that the Federal Reserve may still raise interest rates rattled investors.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid to 495.03, its lowest since Nov. 29, before clawing back some of its losses to trade 0.49% lower at 500.43. The index down about 8% for August and set for its worst monthly performance since September.

The dark mood is set to continue in Europe with Eurostoxx 50 futures down 0.51%, German DAX futures down 0.55% and FTSE futures 0.35% lower.

The pan-European STOXX 600 hit a fresh one-month low on Thursday, weighed down by luxury companies that are exposed to Chinese consumer demand.

China stocks have been in the doldrums in the past few weeks as a series of economic data has laid bare the stuttering post-pandemic recovery, with investors so far unimpressed with moves from policymakers and clamouring for more stimulus.

On Thursday, China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index was flat, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was 0.12% lower after hitting a near nine-month low earlier in the session.

"I still think that there will be more action coming from policymakers," Herald van der Linde, chief Asia equity strategist at HSBC, told the Reuters Global Markets Forum. "It just takes a bit of time."

Van der Linde said the appetite to invest in China is very low. "And that appetite has to do with confidence, and that won’t change too quickly. It would be good if we would get some stimulus for consumers."

Adding to the worrying landscape for the world's second biggest economy is the deepening property sector crisis. Zhongzhi Enterprise Group on Thursday told investors it is facing a liquidity crisis and will conduct a debt restructuring, according to video footage of a meeting.

The move comes after Zhongrong International Trust Co, a leading trust company controlled by Zhongzhi, missed payments on dozens of investment products since the end of July, according to investor sources.

RATE WORRIES

Overnight, Wall Street ended lower after minutes from the Fed's July meeting showed officials were divided over the need for more interest rate hikes.

"Some participants" cited the risks to the economy of pushing rates too far even as "most" policymakers continued to prioritise the battle against inflation, the minutes showed.