Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes 
European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh 
Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness 
Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High 
Fed’s Hammack Says Bond Yield Surge Is Not Driven by Inflation Fears 
Wall Street Ends Flat as Oil, Treasury Yields and Fed Jitters Rattle Markets 
Dollar Falls as Oil Eases, Yen Jumps on Intervention Signals 
US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom 
Japanese Bank Stocks Surge as Bond Yields Fuel Rate Hike Bets 
U.S. Treasury Yields Surge as 30-Year Hits 22-Year High 
Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit 
Canadian Dollar Faces Pressure as Fed-BoC Policy Gap Widens 
Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
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Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Wednesday, extending recent gains amid easing concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming trade tariffs. The region tracked Wall Street's modest tech-driven rally, although caution lingered due to weak U.S. consumer confidence and uncertainty over tariff impacts.
Australia’s ASX 200 led regional gains, rising 0.7% after February inflation came in below expectations. The softer CPI reading, alongside recent weak labor data, strengthened bets on further rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia, which meets next week. Although analysts expect the central bank to hold rates steady, many anticipate at least two more cuts this year.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index climbed 0.6%, rebounding from Tuesday’s losses as investors bought into tech stocks following U.S. gains. However, mainland Chinese indexes slipped slightly due to concerns over potential new U.S. trade actions and uncertainty around China’s AI policies and economic stimulus plans.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 and TOPIX added 0.3% and 0.2% respectively but pared early gains after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reiterated the need for further rate hikes if economic conditions hold steady. While Japan’s producer inflation cooled slightly, it remained sticky at 3%.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.6% on strong chip stock performance, mirroring gains in U.S. semiconductor shares. Singapore’s Straits Times index edged up 0.3%, holding near record highs, while India’s Nifty 50 futures hinted at a positive open as its recent rebound tapered off.
U.S. futures rose slightly after Trump suggested he may take a softer approach to tariffs in an interview, offering some reassurance to global investors. Still, markets remained cautious amid a lack of clarity on the final scope of the trade measures.
