In Asian Equity Markets stocks gave up some of their recent gains in cautious trading on Wednesday while the dollar inched back from three-week lows, as worries about slowing global growth in several markets returned to weigh on traders’ minds. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.40 percent, edging off a three-week high reached the day before. However, on Tuesday, Chinese blue chips fell 0.44 percent and Hong Kong 0.5 percent, as worries about slowing growth in China remained a drag. Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.89 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar traded near its lowest point in nearly three weeks versus major peers on Wednesday, with investors focused on a key U.S. jobs report due on Friday for clues on when the Federal Reserve might begin paring stimulus. The dollar index edged higher to 92.777 from Tuesday. The dollar rose 0.23 percent to 110.235 yen on Wednesday, but remained near the middle of the trading range that has prevailed since early July. The U.S. currency was about 0.1 percent stronger at $1.18015 per euro. The Aussie was flat at $0.73115, while kiwi fell 0.18 percent to $0.7035.

In US Equity Markets stocks finished marginally lower on Tuesday, although the slightly subdued ending to August failed to detract from a strong monthly performance by its three main indexes, in what is traditionally regarded as a quiet period for equities. The Dow fell 0.11 percent, to 35,360.73, the S&P 500 lost 0.13 percent, to 4,522.68 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.04 percent, to 15,259.24. Shares of Apple fell 0.8 percent, while Zoom Video Communications Inc fell 16.7 percent as it signaled a faster-than-expected easing in demand for its video-conferencing service after a pandemic-driven boom.

In Commodities Markets oil fell on Tuesday as the OPEC and its allies geared up for a meeting on Wednesday amid calls from the United States to pump more crude, though Brent still traded well above $70 a barrel. Brent futures fell 42 cents to settle at $72.99 a barrel. U.S. crude settled down 71 cents at $68.50 a barrel. Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,814.42 per ounce. Silver eased 0.6 percent to $23.92 per ounce and was headed for a third straight month of declines, down about 6 percent. Platinum rose 0.8 percent to $1,014.34, while palladium fell 0.8 percent to $2,474.66.

In European Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday as a spike in inflation caused jitters about a possible shift in monetary policy, but nevertheless rose nearly 2 percent in August on strong quarterly earnings and optimism over an economic recovery. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.4 percent lower, but marked a seventh straight month of gains in its best monthly winning streak since 2013. Travel and leisure stocks fell 0.7 percent after European Union governments agreed to remove the United States from the EU’s safe travel list.

In Bond Markets month-end effects roiled U.S. Treasury market trading on Tuesday, leaving yields higher and the curve steeper despite waves of buying. The benchmark 10-year yield, which rose as high as 1.314 percent, was last up 2.5 basis points at 1.3088 percent. The five-year note yield, which is more sensitive to intermediate interest rate hikes, was last up less than a basis point at 0.7771 percent. The gap between five-year notes and 30-year bonds also grew. It was last about 2 basis points steeper at 114.60 basis points.