In Asian Equity Markets stocks mostly tracked Wall Street higher on Thursday while a sell-off in the U.S. dollar was extended, as markets reacted to the possibility of the U.S. Federal Reserve soon slowing its pace of interest rate hikes. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.2 percent, boosted by a 1.0 percent gain in Japan’s Nikkei. South Korean shares rose 0.9 percent. The CSI300 index fell 0.3 percent, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.1 percent.

In Currency Markets the U.S. dollar was broadly weaker on Thursday as investors, encouraged by the prospect of a slower pace of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, placed bets on riskier assets. The dollar index was down 0.14 percent at 105.75. The Japanese yen was one of the strongest gainers among major currencies against the dollar, climbing 0.5 percent to 138.88. The euro was up 0.39 percent at $1.0435, while sterling was last trading at $1.2090, up 0.43 percent on the day. The Australian dollar rose 0.25 percent to $0.675, while the kiwi was 0.17 percent higher at $0.6255.

In US Equity Markets main indexes ended Wednesday with solid gains after the Federal Reserve’s November meeting minutes showed interest rate hikes may slow soon. The Dow rose 0.28 percent, to 34,194.06, the S&P 500 gained 0.59 percent, at 4,027.26 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.99 percent, at 11,285.32. Deere & Co rose 5.03 percent after the farm equipment maker reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit. Nordstrom Inc fell 4.24 percent as the fashion retailer cut its profit forecast amid steep markdowns to attract inflation-wary customers.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell on Wednesday, continuing a streak of volatile trading, as the Group of Seven (G7) nations considered a price cap on Russian oil above the current market level and as gasoline inventories in the United States built by more than analysts’ expected. Brent futures for January delivery fell 3.3 percent, to settle at $85.41 a barrel. U.S. crude fell 3.7 percent, to $77.94 per barrel. Spot gold rose 0.5 percent to $1,749.04 per ounce. Silver gained 1.9 percent to $21.47 per ounce, platinum was up 0.3 percent to $993.88 and palladium rose 1.1 percent to $1,880.18.

In European Equity Markets stocks closed higher on Wednesday as gains in miners offset losses in Credit Suisse after its profit warning, while investors awaited minutes of the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank’s last policy meetings for clues on future interest rate hikes. The continent-wide index rose 0.6 percent to its strongest level since Aug. 19. Mining stocks extended gains for a second session, rising 1.8  percent, while travel and leisure and retailers gained 1.9 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields fell on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve’s November meeting minutes showed a “substantial majority” of policymakers agreed it would “likely soon be appropriate” to slow the pace of interest rate hikes. Benchmark 10-year note yields fell five basis points on the day to 3.711 percent. Two-year yields fell three basis points to 4.490 percent. The closely watched two-year, 10-year part of the yield curve was last at minus 78 basis points, after reaching minus 86 basis points.