Almost all developing Asian currencies were lower against the greenback after Fed released forecasts that showed officials anticipate two interest-rate increases by end of 2023, sooner than thought.
US stocks dropped further into negative territory after the release of the minutes, while the US 10-year Treasury yield rose to a session high of 1.678%.
Japan's Nikkei fell 2.0 per cent and touched its lowest since early January, while Chinese blue chips lost 0.9 per cent
Investors, they say, need to keep a tab on how the US treasury yields move, which in turn will have a ripple effect on how big money moves across developed (DMs) and emerging markets (EMs)
All the sectoral indices ended the day in the red with the Nifty Realty, Metal, and PSU Bank indices dropping up to 3 per cent
Stocks are higher in Europe and Asia after a wobbly day on Wall Street, when the S&P 500 gave back most of its gains from a day earlier. Benchmarks rose Wednesday in Paris, London, Tokyo and Shanghai. US futures also advanced. Investors have taken heart from an easing in bond yields that has alleviated worries over possible interest rate hikes. The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched down to 1.40 per cent early Wednesday. But expectations for stronger economic growth in coming months continue to fuel worries that interest rates will head higher. It feels like we are in the eye of the storm," Stephen Innes of Axi said in a commentary. Investors have recently focused on selling high-priced technology shares but are also watching for policy changes as President Joe Biden's USD 1.9 billion stimulus package heads into the Senate after narrowly passing in the House. How much overheating and inflation will the Biden fiscal stimulus generate remains at the top of virtually every market .
The Fed will need a "big dose of patience in the summer," she added, as inflation likely picks up sharply but temporarily
Shares in the British bank slipped 5 per cent despite it restoring its dividend and reaffirming long-term profit goals
Both contracts touched their highest since Jan. 8, 2020, earlier in the session with Brent at $67.49 and WTI at $63.67. The April Brent contract expires on Friday
"We are just being honest about the challenge," Powell told lawmakers when asked about Fed projections that inflation will remain at or below the central bank's 2% target through 2023
Analysts have long predicted economic activity will pick up as more people are vaccinated, but hopes for a quick path to a fully immunized populace have faded amid vaccine shortages
The path of the economy continues to depend significantly on the course of the virus
Lawmakers on both sides said a provision by Sen Pat Toomey, R-Pa, that would curb emergency Federal Reserve powers was the sticking point
New York Fed President John Williams says a full recovery will have to wait for a vaccine, with the health crisis putting a "question mark" on the economy
Republican leaders have previously said they would not advance the nominations unless they were confident that Trump's controversial pick for one of the two open posts
"We have no intention to change our inflation targeting policy and forward guidance," Kuroda said in an online International Banking Seminar of the Group of 30.
The Fed's governing board made that vow last week at its regularly scheduled policy meeting, promising to leave rates at their current near-zero levels until the economy reaches full employment
The Fed, in its "Beige Book" report, highlighted the uneven rebound underway in the US economy
Asian markets were mostly higher on Friday after the Federal Reserve said it might keep interest rates low even if inflation rises, in a major overhaul to its strategy. Shares rose in Japan, South Korea, Shanghai and Hong Kong but fell in Sydney. Overnight, the S&P 500 ticked 0.2% higher, further into record territory and closing at 3,484.55, after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said in a speech that it might keep interest rates low to help prop up the pandemic ravaged economy even if inflation rises above its target level of 2%. The hoped for change in the Fed's strategy is a huge deal for markets that have been rescued by central banks slashing short-term interest rates and buying all kinds of bonds. Japan's consumer price index rose 0.3% in July, the government reported, down from 0.6% the month before. The Bank of Japan has kept interest rates near or even below zero for most of the past decade, seeking to spur inflation and entice companies and consumers to spend more. .
All that happened in the markets today