In Asian Equity Markets stock markets were a mixed bag on Wednesday amid caution over upcoming inflation data, while major Chinese technology stocks rose as the government signaled less strict measures against the sector. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was the best-performing Asian bourse on Wednesday, rallying more than 1 percent to a six-month high. Gains in technology stocks also lifted Chinese bourses, with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and the Shanghai Composite indexes adding about 0.3 percent each. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added nearly 1 percent. Australia’s ASX 200 index rose 0.9 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar mostly held its ground on Wednesday in spite of downward pressure from lower bond yields and higher stocks, as traders waited on this week’s U.S. consumer price data to see whether it will confirm that inflation is in retreat. The dollar was steady at 132.30 Japanese yen and $1.2161 per British pound. The U.S. dollar was steady elsewhere, loitering at $1.0743 per euro. The Australian dollar wobbled its way about 0.4 percent higher to $0.6918. The New Zealand dollar also crept up 0.1 percent to $0.6378.

In US Equity Markets stocks ended solidly higher on Tuesday, led by a 1 percent gain in the Nasdaq, on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy. The Dow rose 0.56 percent, to 33,704.1; the S&P 500 gained 0.70 percent, at 3,919.25; and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.01 percent, at 10,742.63. Shares of Microsoft Corp rose 0.8 percent, a day after Semafor, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the tech company was in talks to invest $10 billion in ChatGPT-owner OpenAI.

In Commodities Markets oil prices edged slightly higher on Tuesday as the U.S. government forecast record global petroleum consumption next year and as the dollar hovered at seven-month lows. Brent futures rose 0.6 percent, to settle at $80.10 a barrel, while U.S. crude ended 0.6 percent higher at $75.12 per barrel. Spot gold rose 0.2 percent to $1,875.01 per ounce, after hitting its highest since May 9 on Monday. Spot silver fell 0.3 percent to $23.56 per ounce, platinum was down 0.2 percent to $1,076.91 while palladium was steady at $1,775.49.

In European Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday for the first time in three sessions in a broad-based retreat, with some declines being offset after commentary from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and gains in shares of German drugmaker Bayer. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed 0.6 percent lower. German utility Uniper slid 1.5 percent after the firm said its chief executive and chief operating officer will resign from the management board this year after the German government took a major control. UK’s export-heavy FTSE 100 lost 0.4 percent.

In Bond Markets Treasury yields rose on Tuesday as the market braced for highly anticipated consumer price data later this week that could influence how high the Federal Reserve raises interest rates as it fights to control inflation. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes rose 9.8 basis points to 3.615 percent, while the two-year’s yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, rose 5.2 basis points at 4.251 percent. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond rose 9.3 basis points to 3.743 percent.