In Asian Equity Markets stocks were weaker on Tuesday, as investors stayed cautious following the overnight pullback on Wall Street and ahead of a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.5 percent, or 106.37 points, tracking declines seen stateside, but paring some of the more than 200-point losses seen earlier. Most sectors recorded declines, although trading houses, banks and automakers traded higher. The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.54 percent and on the mainland, the Shanghai composite shed 0.26 percent while the Shenzhen composite edged down by 0.55 percent.

In Currency Markets the euro on Tuesday held on to gains made the previous day, when it rose on revived bets for the European Central Bank to wind down its bond-buying stimulus this year and to raise interest rates around the middle of 2019. The euro, which advanced 0.4 percent on Monday, held steady on the day at $1.2336. Sterling held steady at $1.4024. On Monday, the pound rose as high as $1.4088, its strongest level since Feb. 16, as Britain and the European Union agreed to a 21-month post-Brexit transition period and a potential solution to avoid a “hard border” for Northern Ireland.

In Commodities Markets oil prices edged up on Tuesday, lifted by tensions in the Middle East, although rising output in the United States and shaky stock markets put a lid on further gains. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $62.31 a barrel, up 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, from their previous close. Brent crude futures were at $66.26 per barrel, up 21 cents, or 0.3 percent. Traders pointed to concerns in the Middle East, where the United States may reimpose sanctions on Iran, as well as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Worries about Venezuela’s falling crude production also supported oil markets.

In US Equity Markets stocks fell on Monday, with the S&P and Nasdaq suffering their worst day in just over five weeks, as concerns over increased regulation for large tech companies was spearheaded by a plunge in Facebook shares. Facebook shares fell 6.8 percent as Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced calls from both U.S. and European lawmakers to explain how a consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump’s election campaign gained access to data on 50 million Facebook users. The S&P 500 lost 1.42 percent, to 2,712.92 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.84 percent, to 7,344.24. Selling was broad, with each of the 11 major S&P sectors in the red.

In Bond Markets Japanese government bonds weakened slightly on Tuesday, with traders wary of actively taking positions before the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting that starts later in the day and a holiday in Japan. The key June 10-year JGB futures contract eased 0.02 point to 150.87. The benchmark 10-year JGB yield inched up 0.5 basis point to 0.040 percent. Japanese financial markets will be closed on Wednesday for a public holiday.