Emerging Markets Face Decline Amid Thin Liquidity and US Data

Emerging-market assets experienced a slight decline on Monday as fresh US data and thin global liquidity continued to impact several markets across Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong, which were closed for Easter Monday. Broad MSCI gauges for EM stocks and currencies both fell less than 0.1%, with the Brazilian real leading losses among developing-nation currencies, down 0.7% as markets resumed trading after a Friday holiday. The decline accelerated following data that showed unexpected expansion in US factory activity in March, further influencing EM assets.