In Asian Equity Markets Japanese stocks closed higher on Wednesday, as an overnight Wall Street rally improved risk appetite, prompting investors to scoop up stocks that were sold off last month as well as those with robust outlook. The Nikkei index gained 1.68 percent to end at 27,533.60, while the broader Topix advanced 2.14 percent to 1,936.56. The resources-heavy S&P/ASX 200 closed 1.2 percent higher at 7,087.7. The benchmark rose for the second straight session after three straight weeks of losses. In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 closed 1.5 percent higher at 12,238.4.

In Currency Markets the dollar was carrying a couple of bruises on Wednesday as Federal Reserve officials played down the chance of a half point rate hike in March and a rally in global equity markets tarnished some of its safe haven allure. The euro looked steadier at $1.1270, having risen 0.3 percent overnight and further away from last week’s 20-month trough at $1.1122. The dollar was back at 114.70 yen. Reflecting that pullback, the dollar index eased to 96.272 and off its recent 19-month high of 97.441. The pound was up at $1.3522 after three sessions of gains.

In US Equity Markets stocks advanced on Tuesday and the energy index closed at a multi-year high, although seesaw trading reflected investor uncertainty about how to play the current market. The Dow rose 0.78 percent, to 35,405.24, the S&P 500 gained 0.69 percent, to 4,546.54 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.75 percent, to 14,346.00. AT&T Inc fell 4.2 percent after saying it will spin off WarnerMedia in a $43 billion transaction to merge its media properties with Discovery Inc and also cut its dividend by nearly half.

In Commodities Markets oil prices ended little changed on Tuesday, as geopolitical tensions and tight global supplies supported the market even as some speculated that OPEC+ might boost supplies more than expected. Brent crude settled down 0.1 percent, at $$89.16 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 5 cents to $88.20. Spot gold gained 0.2 percent to $1,800.36 per ounce. U.S. gold futures settled 0.3 percent higher at $1,801.50. Spot silver rose 0.3 percent to $22.51 an ounce, and platinum gained 0.4 percent to $1,021.66. Palladium fell 0.2 percent to $2,346.19.

In European Equity Markets stocks rose on Tuesday, tracking gains on Wall Street after optimistic comments from the U.S. Treasury’s top economist eased some fears about the outlook for equities, while UBS jumped after posting upbeat quarterly earnings. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 1.2 percent after marking its worst month since October 2020 in January. Swiss lender UBS climbed 7 percent after posting its best annual profit since the global financial crisis, emboldening it to hike share buybacks and set more ambitious profit goals.

In Bond Markets the sell-off that has upended financial markets since the start of the year stalled on Tuesday, with benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovering near their lowest levels in a week. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was last up 0.7 basis points at 1.789 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up 2.1 basis points at 2.119 percent. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield was down 0.4 basis points at 1.161 percent. The U.S. dollar 5-year forward inflation-linked swap was last at 2.404 percent, largely unchanged from Monday.