Asian equities fell Wednesday, tracking a drop on Wall Street ahead of a crucial US inflation report later in the day, which could have a huge bearing on the Federal Reserve’s plans for raising interest rates.
Investors are preparing for the consumer price figures with a sense of dread as analysts warn a forecast-beating reading would ramp up bets on another big Federal Reserve hike and reinforce recession expectations.
The US central bank has said its decision on when and by how much to tighten monetary policy will be driven by data as it struggles to walk a fine line between bringing inflation down from four-decade highs and trying not to damage the economy.—AFP
