In Asian Equity Markets stocks edged off near year-to-date lows on Wednesday despite Wall Street’s overnight declines, while New Zealand’s central bank defied expectations by not raising interest rates as the country is in lockdown due to cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.45 percent. Chinese blue chips rose 0.66 percent, the Hong Kong benchmark gained 0.71 percent, and South Korean stocks rebounded from an eight-day losing streak to rise 0.82 percent. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.57 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar hit a nine-month high against the euro and held broad gains elsewhere on Wednesday as investors have cut exposure to riskier currencies, mostly on virus concerns, while the kiwi was sent on a loop when central bank held fire on rate hikes. The euro touched $1.1702 early in the Asia session. The kiwi fell further to also make a nine-month trough at $0.6868 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand held off on raising rates amid a snap lockdown in the country over seven COVID-19 cases. The Japanese yen it last traded at 109.55 per dollar.

In US Equity Markets stocks slid on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 logging its biggest one-day percentage fall in about a month, weighed down by a decline in U.S. retail sales that raised concerns about the economic recovery. The Dow fell 0.79 percent, to 35,343.28, the S&P 500 lost 0.71 percent, to 4,448.08 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.93 percent, to 14,656.18. Home Depot shares fell 4.3 percent after the company’s U.S. same-store sales fell short of estimates for the first time in nearly two years as pandemic-fueled do-it-yourself projects tapered off. Shares of rival Lowe’s Companies lost 5.8 percent.

In Commodities Markets oil prices weakened for a fourth session on Tuesday due to a strong dollar and as rising cases of coronavirus in Japan added to a weak demand picture in Asia. Brent crude ended the session down 0.7 percent, at $69.03 per barrel, while U.S. WTI crude settled 1 percent, lower at $66.59 a barrel. Spot gold fell 0.2 percent to $1,784.02 per ounce. Silver fell 0.9 percent to $23.60 per ounce, after having hit its highest since Aug. 9 at $23.95. Platinum shed 3.1 percent to $990.38 per ounce, and palladium slid 4.6 percent to $2,485.55 per ounce.

In European Equity Markets stocks eked out gains after falling to their lowest in a week on Tuesday, as upbeat euro zone data helped ease worries about a slowdown in global economic growth amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Asia and elsewhere. The pan-European STOXX 600 was 0.1 percent higher, after the index marked its longest winning streak in over a decade. UK-listed shares of BHP Group gained 3.4 percent after the world’s biggest miner posted its best annual profit in nearly a decade and said it would pay a record dividend.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields ended Tuesday little changed in choppy trading after data showed a mixed picture of the U.S. economy and as investors remained concerned about slowing global growth and the spread of COVID-19 variants. Benchmark 10-year note yields were last at 1.258 percent, little changed on the day, after earlier falling as low as 1.217 percent. Yields rose after data showed that U.S. retail sales fell 1.1 percent in July, more than economists expected. Germany’s 10-year yield fell as much as 3 basis points on Tuesday, falling below -0.50 percent.

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