US gasoline futures surge as Harvey swamps Texas; euro holds at 2-1/2 yr high

US gasoline futures rose to a two-year high on Monday as Tropical Storm Harvey pummeled the heart of America's energy sector, while the euro hit a 2-1/2-year peak after the European Central Bank president refrained from talking down the currency.

Following a subdued session in Asia as investors awaited damage estimates from the storm, financial spreadbetter LCG expected Germany's DAX to open down 0.2 per cent and France's CAC 40 to start the day 0.3 per cent lower. The UK is closed for a holiday.

US stock futures were down 0.2 per cent, suggesting softer opening on Wall Street later in the day.

Harvey impact

Gasoline futures soared as much as 6.8 per cent at one point as the storm, which came ashore on Friday as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, continued to batter the state.

The region is home to a quarter of US crude oil refining capacity, and some areas are expected to see a year's worth of rainfall in the span of a week. At least two people have died so far, and the toll is expected to rise as the storm triggers additional tidal surges and tornadoes.

Harvey has knocked out a quarter of oil production from the Gulf of Mexico, prompting fears it could overturn years of US excess oil capacity and low prices. Some US traders were seeking to import oil product cargoes from North Asia, several refining and shipping sources told Reuters.

“The rain is expected to last through to Wednesday so the disruptions could last for some time yet,” said William O'Loughlin, investment analyst at Rivkin Securities in Sydney.

Hurricane Katrina

US economic growth more than halved in the quarter after Hurricane Katrina mauled Louisiana in August 2005, but quickly bounced back by early 2006 as reconstruction began and gasoline prices moderated.

US gasoline futures were up 5.6 percent at 0535 GMT.

After surging on Friday, crude oil prices were mixed on Monday as markets tried to gauge Harvey's impact on oil production and refinery demand.

Brent futures, the global crude oil benchmark, rose 0.3 per cent to $52.56 a barrel, adding to Friday's 0.7 per cent increase. But US crude futures pulled back 0.4 per cent to $47.70, paring Friday's 0.9 per cent increase.

Despite gains in energy shares across the region, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose less than 0.1 per cent.

Japan's Nikkei was little changed, but Japanese property and casualty insurers' shares skidded as investors fretted about the broader impact of US storm.

Chinese blue chips rose 1.6 per cent, extending this summer's blistering rally to nearly 11 per cent after a raft of strong earnings, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.4 per cent. Australian shares slid 0.7 per cent, and South Korea's KOSPI was down 0.5 per cent.

North Korea missile launch

Markets mostly dismissed the firing of three short-range missiles by North Korea into the sea on Saturday, as the U.S. and South Korea conducted annual joint military drills that the North denounces as preparation for war.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said on Sunday the test was a provocative act but that the US will continue to seek a peaceful resolution.

The Korean won strengthened 0.8 per cent to 1,119.9 won to the dollar as the greenback faltered.

ECB policy stance

The euro hovered near its highest level since January 2015, retaining gains made on Friday after ECB President Mario Draghi refrained from citing the common currency's strength as a concern or discussing monetary policy specifically at a central bankers' meeting in Wyoming.

Instead, Draghi said the central bank's ultra-easy monetary policy was working and the euro zone's economic recovery had taken hold.

“The EUR bulls will feed off anything they can get that suggests a less accommodative stance going forward,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, wrote in a note.

The euro rose to as high as $1.19665 early on Monday and was up 0.1 per cent from its $1.19215 close on Friday, when it advanced 1 per cent at $1.1931.

Yellen's speech

The dollar fell 0.3 per cent to 109.13 yen, adding to Friday's 0.1 per cent slide, after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen focused more on financial stability in a speech at the same event as Draghi.

Yellen's remarks disappointed some investors who had hoped for hints on the Fed's plans for interest rates, though most analysts had not expected either Yellen or Draghi to shed new light on policies.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, fell 0.3 percent to 92.467, its lowest level since January 2015.

The 10-year US Treasury yield was at 2.1728 percent on Monday, from Thursday's 2.194, further undermining the dollar's yield appeal. Spot gold crept up 0.25 per cent to $1,294.42 an ounce, extending Friday's 0.4 per cent gain.