Asian equities advanced strongly at the end of the week, with major regional benchmarks recovering across the board. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar remained steady as global investors continued to parse incoming economic data and ongoing debate over the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path.
Broad Gains Across Asia-Pacific Markets
Stock markets throughout the Asia–Pacific region, including mainland China and Japan, traded higher during Friday’s session. Sentiment improved notably as expectations grew that Beijing may introduce further stimulus to support its cooling economy.
In China, mainland indices climbed more than 1%, led by technology and property shares. The rebound came despite lingering caution surrounding liquidity pressures in the real-estate sector and the impact of tighter regulatory oversight.
Dollar Stabilizes as Fed Policy Remains in Focus
On currency markets, the U.S. dollar held a stable footing after a mild recovery. Investors are digesting mixed messages from the Fed’s latest meeting, where policymakers left open the possibility of a rate cut in December.
Market participants are now watching a raft of U.S. economic reports that had been delayed by the recent government shutdown, including inflation readings and labor-market indicators. Analysts note that persistent inflation would likely reinforce the stance of the Fed’s more hawkish members, offering additional support to the dollar.
Treasury Yields Ease; Oil Prices Steady
U.S. Treasury yields edged lower, with the 10-year note seeing a slight pullback amid a balance of global growth concerns and expectations that inflation may gradually cool.
Oil prices also traded sideways near resistance levels following a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) projecting long-term growth in global crude demand. The outlook left investors in a cautious holding pattern as major central banks prepare for their next round of policy decisions.
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