Today's News Update - 12th March 2024 Asia Asia-Pacific markets mostly saw gains, with Japan's corporate inflation figures for February beating expectations at 0.6%, signaling a potential rise in interest rates by the Bank of Japan. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 1.34%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rebounded, gaining 0.21%. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.22%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng extended gains for a third day, opening up 0.47%. Investors are also monitoring inflation figures from India and the U.S., which could provide insights into the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions. US Stock futures edged higher in overnight trading as investors awaited the release of the February consumer price index (CPI) report, which could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained about 0.1%, S&P 500 futures inched up 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose around 0.4%. The market is closely monitoring the CPI data, with economists predicting a monthly gain of 0.4% and a 3.1% increase on the headline. The January CPI increase had previously unsettled the markets, prompting a more cautious tone from Fed officials about policy easing. Commodity Gold inched up on Monday, trading near its highest-ever level after a record rally last week. The precious metal reached $2,181.47 per ounce, gaining 0.2%, following a surge to a record high of $2,194.99 on Friday, driven by U.S. labor market data that increased expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, oil prices were mixed as traders awaited February inflation data and reports on the global crude outlook from OPEC and the International Energy Agency later in the week. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for April lost 0.10%, settling at $77.93 a barrel, while Brent crude for May added 0.16%, settling at $82.21 a barrel. The above analysis is only for the views of market researchers and is for reference only and is not Regarded as a specific investment suggestion. #Forex #trading #tradingforex