Asian Stocks Set for Mixed Open, US Hits New Highs: Markets Wrap.

AFRICAN Union; STOCKS (Finance); EXCHANGE traded funds; ECONOMIC statistics; U.S. dollar; INVESTORS; FUTURES; DOW Jones averages; LABOR market

Equities in Asia are expected to have a mixed opening as investors reconsider their optimism following signs of persistent inflation in the US. Australian shares remained unchanged, while futures for Japanese stocks rose and contracts for Hong Kong fell. The S&P 500 reached a new high, led by gains in industrials and banks, but tech stocks like Apple and Alphabet faced regulatory pressure. US economic data suggests the Federal Reserve may slow down interest rate reductions, prompting a rise in Treasury yields and the dollar. The Swiss National Bank and Mexico's central bank cut interest rates, potentially signaling policy easing in the UK, Europe, and the US. The Bank of England kept rates steady, but two members dropped their demands for hikes, indicating a potential shift towards rate cuts. In Asia, the Reserve Bank of Australia will release a financial stability review, Japan will release inflation data, and Taiwan will publish jobs data. Crude, natural gas, and gasoline futures fell, while Bitcoin and gold experienced fluctuations. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Bloomberg.com is the property of Bloomberg, L.P. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)