Asian markets slip after Federal Reserve's upbeat outlook
The Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates untouched left Asian stock benchmarks in limbo Thursday.
The Fed, which concluded a two-day meeting Wednesday, provided a positive assessment of the U.S. economy and job market, opening the possibility of September rate hike. Policymakers have kept rates steady in 2016 after hiking rates last December for the first time in nearly a decade.
Here’s where U.S. markets stand ahead of the opening bell:
Dow Jones: -.01%
S&P 500: -.12%
Nasdaq: +.58%
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell again, dipping 0.23% to 22,154.82, while China’s Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.2% to 2,985.66. Sydney’s S&P-ASX surged 0.3% to 5,558.40 as
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 1.1% to 16,476.84 despite the 28 trillion yen ($266 billion) stimulus package Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Wednesday to revive his country's stagnant economy.
The U.S. dollar plunged to 104.66 from 105.15 yen, while the euro continued to climb to $1.1087 from $1.1064.
Contributing: Adam Shell and Associated Press