In Asian Equity Markets stocks fell on Friday were headed for the worst month since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while jitters in currency and bond markets persisted over hawkish talk from central banks, worries about global recession and rising geopolitical risk. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was largely flat on Friday, as a bounce in Hong Kong and among mainland Chinese bluechips offset declines elsewhere. Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.6 percent. China’s factory activity unexpectedly expanded in September, an official survey showed on Friday.

In Currency Markets China’s yuan fell on Friday following mixed signals from business activity data, while Asian currencies headed for steep monthly losses as a hawkish Fed and a robust dollar sparked sharp outflows. The onshore yuan fell 0.1 percent. The dollar index fell 0.1 percent to 112.17. The Japanese yen fell 0.2 percent, taking little support from better-than-expected industrial production and retail sales data. The dollar appreciated 0.14 percent to 144.65 yen. The Aussie fell 0.08 percent to $0.6495, and New Zealand’s kiwi weakened 0.12 percent to $0.5721.

In US Equity Markets stocks ended sharply lower on Thursday on worries that the Federal Reserve’s aggressive fight against inflation could hobble the U.S. economy, and as investors fretted about a rout in global currency and debt markets. The S&P 500 fell 2.11 percent to end the session at 3,640.47 points. The Nasdaq declined 2.84 percent to 10,737.51 points, while the Dow declined 1.54 percent to 29,225.61 points. General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co fell more than 5 percent each. American Airlines, United Airlines Holdings and Delta Air Lines each lost more than 2 percent.

In Commodities Markets oil prices settled lower on Thursday in choppy trading, rising above $90 per barrel and then retreating as traders weighed a worsening economic outlook against potential OPEC+ output cuts next week. Brent crude futures settled down 83 cents at $88.49 per barrel, after rising as high as $90.12 during the session. U.S. crude futures for November settled 92 cents lower at $81.23 a barrel. Spot gold was little changed at $1,659.09 per ounce. Meanwhile, spot silver shed 1 percent to $18.71 per ounce. Platinum fell 0.5 percent to $859.49, while palladium rose 2.5 percent to $2,208.83.

In European Equity Markets stocks fell on Thursday as relief from the BoE’s bond buy-back plan to soothe distressed markets fizzled out, while grim inflation data from Germany fed fears about rising prices and aggressive central bank moves. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index fell 1.7 percent. Germany’s DAX index was down 1.7 percent as data showed inflation in Europe’s largest economy jumped by more than expected in September to a 10.9 percent rise on the year – its highest level in more than 25 years. London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.8 percent, while the mid-caps index fell 3.1 percent.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasuries resumed a sell-off on Thursday as Federal Reserve officials reaffirmed the U.S. central bank’s plans to tame inflation by aggressively hiking interest rates, an outlook that deepened a risk-off mood in capital markets. The two-year Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with rate expectations, was up 8.6 basis points at 4.180 percent, while the yield on benchmark 10-year notes rose 5.4 basis points to 3.761 percent. The 30-year yield was up 1.9 basis points to 3.700 percent.