EMERGING MARKETS-EM currencies and stocks set to end week with losses

By Purvi Agarwal

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Most emerging market currencies were largely subdued against the dollar on Friday, while stocks continued to decline in what could be the steepest weekly drop for both assets in more than two months.

MSCI's index tracking global EM stocks .MSCIEF was down 0.3%, set to snap a six-week winning streak, its longest run in a year. The currencies equivalent .MIEM00000CUS was flat on the day, but on track for a weekly decline.

The week has been punishing for EM equities in particular, as wild swings in precious metal prices and a sell-off in tech stocks caused a whiplash reaction in tech-exposed Asian EMs and resource-heavy markets in Latin America and South Africa.

"Though flows were for rotation away from tech into other sectors, broader markets sold off in the risk-off sentiment. The obvious question which arises is whether the ongoing events can translate into systemic risks," said Mohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies.

"We had been in the diversification camp, away from U.S. tech, and favoured a broadening of the rally and into Europe and EM. Does it change our views? Not much."

On the day, bourses in South Korea .KS11 and Hong Kong .HSI closed 1.4% and 1.2% lower respectively, after Amazon.com AMZN.O projected a 50% surge in capital spending this year, amplifying concerns over investments in artificial intelligence.

Indonesian stocks .JKSE came under pressure again, down 2.1%, after Moody's lowered Indonesia's credit rating, citing reduced predictability in policymaking.

Indonesia's five-year credit default swap spread, or the cost of insuring against a default, climbed to a 15-month high.

The continued volatility in equities dampened sentiment across emerging Europe, with bourses in Hungary .BUX and Romania .BETI down 0.2% and 1.2% respectively.

Polish stocks .WIG20 were set for their ninth consecutive week of gains. Central banker Henryk Wnorowski said the likelihood of an interest rate cut in March seems quite high, as the bank awaits new inflation forecasts next month.

South African stocks .JTOPI gained 0.3%, driven by an uptick in gold prices, while Turkish stocks .XU100 slipped 0.5%.

Still, BofA's Flow Show data showed that inflows into EM equities had resumed this week, at $7.8 billion, and outflows resumed from EM debt instruments.

Asian currencies were subdued to slightly higher against the dollar, while the Turkish lira TRYTOM=D3 slipped 0.2%.

South Africa's rand ZAR= appreciated 1%, briefly touching its highest level in more than two weeks. South Africa signed a framework economic partnership agreement in China, which it described as a step towards securing duty-free access to the Chinese market.

Currencies in emerging Europe were largely subdued against the euro.

Fitch was scheduled to review its rating for the Czech Republic later on Friday.

HIGHLIGHTS:

India's central bank keeps rates on hold after US trade deal

Yuan heads for longest weekly winning streak against dollar in 13 years

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