Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market 
Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth 
Gold Prices Steady as Markets Await Key U.S. Data and Expected Fed Rate Cut 
Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification 
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
European Oil & Gas Stocks Face 2026 With Cautious Outlook Amid Valuation Pressure 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains 
Asian Markets Stabilize as Wall Street Rebounds and Rate Concerns Ease 
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens 
European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike 
Asian currencies and the U.S. dollar traded largely unchanged on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a cautious outlook on monetary policy. Powell stressed the difficulty of balancing inflation control with employment risks, noting that there is no “risk-free path” as the central bank manages persistent price pressures alongside weakening job growth.
The U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of major peers, inched up 0.1% and held near post-Fed decision levels. Futures tied to the index also rose 0.1% in early Asian trading. Powell’s remarks left markets uncertain about the timing of the next rate cut, though investors continue to price in two additional cuts this year in line with Fed guidance. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee later echoed that the central bank has room to lower borrowing costs if inflation trends lower, but warned against aggressive easing given ongoing inflation risks.
Currency markets responded with muted moves. The Japanese yen’s USD/JPY pair gained 0.1%, while the South Korean won’s USD/KRW stayed flat. The Singapore dollar’s USD/SGD edged up 0.1%, and the Indian rupee’s USD/INR showed little change. In China, both the onshore yuan (USD/CNY) and offshore yuan (USD/CNH) rose 0.1%. Traders now look ahead to Friday’s U.S. core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge.
The standout performer was the Australian dollar. The Aussie rose 0.4% against the greenback after consumer price index (CPI) data showed a 3.0% year-over-year rise in August, slightly above forecasts and the fastest pace in a year. The figure hit the top of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2–3% target range, raising doubts about further rate cuts despite earlier signals of easing. Markets expect the RBA to hold its 3.6% cash rate steady at its September 29–30 meeting before potentially trimming rates in November.
Meanwhile, New Zealand appointed Anna Breman as the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, effective December 1. Breman, a former Deputy Governor at Sweden’s Riksbank, becomes the first woman and first foreign national to lead the RBNZ. The New Zealand dollar, however, remained flat against the U.S. dollar.
