In Asian Equity Markets stocks fell on Wednesday as uncertainties over inflation prompted investors to reduce exposure to riskier assets for now. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 0.3 percent though Hong Kong and South Korea are closed for holiday. Mainland China’s CSI300 fell 0.6 percent while Japan’s Nikkei lost 1.1 percent. The Shanghai Composite index was down 0.41 percent to 3,514.38. The energy sector sub-index fell 1.63 percent, the banking sector was down 1.39 percent, and the real estate index lost 1.23 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar steadied against major currencies on Wednesday as traders awaited U.S. Federal Reserve minutes. Against the Canadian dollar, the greenback traded at C$1.2076, close to its weakest since May 2015. The British pound bought $1.4187, which was near its strongest level since late February. The euro was steady at $1.2231. The dollar was little changed at 108.96 yen and 0.8974 Swiss franc. The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was quoted at 89.732, close to the lowest since late February.

In US Equity Markets stocks ended down on Tuesday, falling on a sharp decline in telecom stocks and weak housing starts data that overshadowed better-than-expected earnings from Walmart and Home Depot. The Dow fell 0.78 percent, to 34,060.66, the S&P 500 lost 0.85 percent, to 4,127.83 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.56 percent, to 13,303.64. AT&T Inc shed 5.8 percent. It extended declines from Monday, when the telecoms firm said it would cut its dividend payout ratio as a result of its $43 billion media asset deal with Discovery Inc.

In Commodities Markets oil prices settled lower on Tuesday. Media reports said the United States and Iran have made progress on reviving a deal restricting the OPEC country’s nuclear weapons development, which would boost crude supply. Brent crude fell 1.1 percent to settle at $68.71, while U.S. WTI crude lost 1.2 percent to $65.49. U.S. gold futures gained 0.03 percent to $1,867.80 an ounce. Palladium gained 0.2 percent to $2,907.09 per ounce, silver eased 0.2 percent to $28.15, while platinum edged 0.2 percent higher to $1,220.50.

In European Equity Markets stocks rose on Tuesday, with Germany’s equity index hitting a record high on optimism around several countries easing economic restrictions, falling unemployment rate in the United Kingdom and strong earnings reports from companies. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.2 percent to end just shy of its record high hit last week, with the travel and leisure index leading gains, while technology stocks rose 0.6 percent. The German DAX hit a record high and Italy’s FTSE MIB added 0.1 percent.

In Bond Markets nominal U.S. Treasury yields remained little changed on Tuesday but strong consumer demand as seen in Walmart Inc and Home Depot Inc results provided fodder for investors who take issue with the Federal Reserve’s narrative of transient inflation. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 0.9 basis points at 1.649 percent. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up 1.6 basis points to 2.371 percent. The breakeven rate on five-year U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) edged up to 2.734 percent.