- Asian shares fell and currencies fluctuated as investors awaited highly anticipated inflation data later Thursday.
- Stocks fell in Japan, China, and South Korea, while US futures rose after the S&P 500 fell for the sixth time in a row, to its lowest level since November 2020.
- The dollar held on to recent gains, while the yen retreated from a new 24-year low, raising the prospect of Japanese intervention.
- Investors are nervous as they await consumer price data that will determine whether the Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the fourth time in a row, putting additional strain on an already stressed global economy. The minutes of the Fed's most recent meeting, released on Wednesday, suggested that some officials considered slowing the pace of rate hikes, causing a brief surge on Wall Street that quickly faded.
