![Asian investors trade cautiously ahead of central bank decisions](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/61/0f/15/Asian-investors-trade-cautiously-ah-112757.jpg)
-
Nissanka leaves Sri Lanka in sight of third Test win over England
-
Kendrick Lamar to headline 2025 Super Bowl halftime show
-
Thousands defy roadblocks in rally for Pakistan ex-PM Khan
-
Roglic wins record-equalling fourth Vuelta
-
Russia advances in east Ukraine, launches deadly air strikes
-
Cowboys quarterback Prescott agrees record $240 mln extension
-
Swiss double in Paralympic wheelchair marathons, Dutch women retain basketball title
-
New 'Beetlejuice' creeps its way to top of N.America box office
-
South Africa captain Kolisi leaves Racing 92: French Top 14 club
-
Funeral for slain athlete Cheptegei in Uganda on Sept 14
-
Dolphins star Hill arrested on way to season-opener
-
Smith hits back after England collapse against Sri Lanka
-
Weather delays final regattas in Louis Vuitton Cup
-
Venezuela's Gonzalez Urrutia: from placeholder to opposition pointman
-
Marquez thanks rain for San Marino MotoGP win as leader Martin pays for gamble
-
Boeing, union reach preliminary deal to avert Seattle-area strike
-
Neuville wins Acropolis Rally to close in on world title
-
Venezuela's opposition figure fled to Spain to save 'his life'
-
Trump, Harris tied on eve of televised presidential debate
-
Paris Paralympics the greatest ever, say former Olympics executives
-
Pope exit revives Sri Lanka's hopes in third Test against England
-
Gunman kills 3 Israelis at West Bank crossing as Gaza war rages
-
Marquez wins San Marino MotoGP as leader Martin pays for rain gamble
-
Greece to hike fee for cruise passengers to Mykonos and Santorini
-
Carsley's 'refreshing' England overhaul launches new era
-
Swiss double in wheelchair marathons on final day of Paralympics
-
France's Le Pen urges Macron to hold referendum to break deadlock
-
Typhoon Yagi weakens, toll rises to 14 in Vietnam
-
India's Randhir Singh elected Asian Olympic chief
-
Under pressure, UN winds down 'unique' Iraq probe into IS crimes
-
'Proud' athletics great Weir calls time on marathon Paralympic career
-
'Brave' Afghanistan can beat anyone, says skipper ahead of NZ Test
-
Vaughan warns England against 'taking the mick' after Sri Lanka collapse
-
England's Moeen Ali retires from international cricket
-
Japan's Hirata holds off inspired Smyth to win on Asian Tour
-
China's Paralympic domination fails to ignite enthusiasm back home
-
Sporting a feathered headdress, Pope finds 'Eden' in Papua New Guinea
-
Super Typhoon Yagi toll rises to 9 in Vietnam after landslide
-
Indonesian villagers dress corpses in ritual for the dead
-
Williamson expects 'phenomenal' Root to keep breaking records
-
The end of Olympic escapism for gloomy France
-
Amy Adams gets real about motherhood in 'Nightbitch'
-
Venezuela says presidential opposition candidate has left country
-
Women ride Pakistan's economic crisis into the workplace
-
Wallabies 'fell of cliff' in loss to Pumas, says coach Schmidt
-
Child abuse scandals hang over pope's East Timor visit
-
Biden team, end in sight, keeps hope on Gaza truce despite setbacks
-
Sabalenka dedicates US Open to family 'who never gave up' on dream
-
Venezuela takes diplomatic jab at Brazil in spat over election
-
Multiple people shot along highway in US state of Kentucky
![Asian investors trade cautiously ahead of central bank decisions](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/61/0f/15/Asian-investors-trade-cautiously-ah-112757.jpg)
Asian investors trade cautiously ahead of central bank decisions
Asian markets edged down Tuesday as investors jockey ahead of a slew of central bank decisions, key economic data and earnings from tech titans this week.
While last week's US inflation report further stoked optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at least once this year, traders became more cautious after Monday's rally.
The US central bank is expected to stay put on monetary policy Wednesday, but its post-meeting statement will be pored over in hopes of confirmation it will lower borrowing costs in September.
Boss Jerome Powell ramped up bets on a move earlier this month when he said officials did not need to see inflation hit their two percent target before cutting.
A string of figures indicating prices were under control and the labour market was softening have helped fuel confidence that easing is on the way, with some market-watchers suggesting there could be three cuts before January.
The release of figures on US jobs creation and openings is also in sight this week, which could have some impact on the bank's thinking.
The Fed gathering concludes hours after the Bank of Japan makes a much-anticipated decision, with speculation swirling over whether it will hike rates again, having lifted them for the first time in 17 years back in March.
BoJ chief Kazu Ueda has been tight-lipped about what decision-makers will say, though he is expected to lay out a plan for winding down the bank's bond-buying, which has helped keep borrowing costs ultra-low for years.
But Katsutoshi Inadome, senior strategist at SuMi TRUST, said an interest rate move was unlikely just yet.
"A rate hike this month, combined with detailed plans to scale back Japanese Government Bond (JGB) purchases, would excessively disrupt the market, and cause yen appreciation which would hurt domestic equities," he warned in a commentary.
"The only situation in which a rate hike would appear the wisest course is if the yen weakens excessively.
"The reduction (in JGB purchases) is expected to occur in stages, considering the economic impact as well as the market's reaction."
He added that he did not expect "a clear outlook for interest rate hikes as (the bank) continues to assess the impact of bond purchase reduction but do expect an additional increase by October".
Bets on a Fed cut and BoJ cut have helped push the yen up against the dollar in recent weeks, having hit a nearly four-decade low close to 162 per greenback at the start of July.
With traders still uncertain, Asian equities slipped Tuesday, having enjoyed a healthy run-up the day before.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta and Manila were all down, though Wellington edged higher.
Markets had a rough ride last week after disappointing earnings from heavyweights Tesla and Google-parent Alphabet, which raised questions about the surge in tech giants that has helped power some indexes to record highs this year.
And investors are steeling themselves for more reports this week from other titans, including Microsoft, Facebook-parent Meta, Apple and Amazon.
Oil prices extended Monday's retreat on continued worries about demand owing to weakness in the Chinese economy, which overshadowed tensions in the Middle East after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a "severe response" to a strike on the annexed Golan Heights that killed 12 children.
The warning came as diplomats raced to contain escalation between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been blamed for the attack.
- Key figures around 0230 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 38,101.24 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 17,020.75
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.8 percent at 2,868.23
Dollar/yen: UP at 154.05 yen from 154.00 yen on Monday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0817 from $1.0826
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2848 from $1.2862
Euro/pound: UP at 84.20 pence from 84.14 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $75.44 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $79.46 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 40,539.93 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,292.35 (close)
X.Brito--PC