Asian stocks tracked Wall Street higher on Tuesday ahead of a chorus of Federal Reserve officials due to speak later in the day, while the Australian dollar held steady and domestic shares rose ahead of the country's interest rate decision.
Oil prices edged down in Asian trade on Tuesday, after posting gains in the previous session, as markets remained cautious about global demand growth prospects amid expectations of stronger supplies.
The dollar drifted lower on Tuesday, extending the previous day's losses against the euro and sterling, as market jitters over the risks of a far-right French government receded.
Thai consumer confidence dropped for a third straight month in May, falling to its lowest level since October last year on concerns over a slow economic recovery and political uncertainty, a survey showed on Thursday.
Headline inflation in Malaysia is expected to remain within the government's projected range of 2% to 3.5% for 2024, following the reform of diesel subsidies that began this month, a treasury official said on Thursday.
U.S. producer prices unexpectedly fell in May amid lower energy costs, another indication that inflation was subsiding after surging in the first quarter.