In Asian Equity Markets stocks fell and the dollar steadied on Wednesday as investors waited for a key U.S. report on inflation to provide hints to the Federal Reserve’s plans for future monetary tightening. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.51 percent, while Japan’s Nikkei extended losses from the previous day and was down 0.65 percent. South Korea’s KOSPI lost 0.64 percent, Australia’s AXJO fell 0.12 percent, and Taiwan’s TAIEX fell 0.70 percent. China’s blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index fell 1.2 percent, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.6 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar traded firmly on Wednesday in anticipation of U.S. inflation data, which even if it comes in softer-than-expected is still likely to be so red hot that steep U.S. interest rate rises will be required to rein it in. The greenback was broadly steady overnight, though has paused a bit of a retreat that began in the middle of July. It bought 135.14 Japanese yen and sat at $1.0208 per euro. The Australian and New Zealand dollars eased slightly, with the Aussie last at $0.6958. The kiwi bought $0.6284.

In US Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday after a dismal forecast from Micron Technology pulled chip makers and tech stocks lower as investors await U.S. inflation data that could lead the Fed to further tighten its efforts to curb inflation. The Dow fell 0.18 percent, to 32,774.41, while the S&P 500 lost 0.42 percent, to 4,122.47 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.19 percent, to 12,493.93. Micron Technology Inc slid 3.7 percent after the memory-chipmaker cut its current-quarter revenue forecast and warned of negative free cash flow in its next quarter as demand wanes for chips in PCs and smartphones.

In Commodities Markets oil prices settled slightly lower on Tuesday after a see-saw session as worries that a slowing economy could cut demand vied with news that some oil exports had been suspended on the Russia-to-Europe Druzhba pipeline that transits Ukraine. Brent crude settled at $96.31 a barrel, losing 0.4 percent. U.S. WTI crude settled at $90.50 a barrel, shedding 0.3 percent. Spot gold was 0.4 percent higher at $1,794.76 per ounce. Spot silver fell 0.9 percent to $20.46 per ounce, while platinum was down 0.6 percent at $934.02. Palladium rose more than 1 percent to $2,255.54.

In European Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday as investors cautiously waited for key U.S. inflation data later in the week for hints on the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rate increases. The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.6 percent, erasing nearly all of its gains from its best session in nearly two weeks seen on Monday. Germany’s Continental said it expects a rise in auto production in the second half of the year as supply chains stabilize but shares of the auto parts supplier fell 6.5 percent on a heavy second-quarter loss.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields edged higher on Tuesday as investors waited on highly anticipated inflation data on Wednesday, which will be scrutinized for how aggressively the Federal Reserve might continue to raise interest rates. Benchmark 10-year note yields rose to 2.799 percent on Tuesday and are holding just below the 2.869 percent level reached on Friday, which was the highest since July 22. Two-year yields were last 3.286 percent, after reaching 3.331 percent on Friday, the highest since June 16.