U.S. job openings increased in September, pointing to persistent labor market tightness that is supporting the economy and likely to see the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates higher for a long time to cool demand.
Most Asian stocks rose on Thursday, buoyed by a rally in the technology sector as somewhat middling comments from the Federal Reserve spurred bets that the central bank was done with its run of interest rate hikes.
Oil prices jumped from a one-month low in Asian trade on Thursday as weak U.S. economic readings and middling comments from the Federal Reserve saw traders pricing in a diminished chance of more interest rate hikes, denting the dollar.
The dollar fell broadly on Thursday, tracking a slide in U.S. Treasury yields as markets grew more convinced the Federal Reserve was done with its aggressive monetary policy tightening cycle after it left rates unchanged.
Inflation in the euro zone is falling fast and the economy has begun contracting, data showed on Tuesday, illustrating the dual impact of a steady diet of European Central Bank interest rate hikes.
Japan's government is considering spending over 17 trillion yen ($112 billion) in a package of measures to cushion the economic blow from rising inflation, a draft of the package obtained by Reuters showed on Wednesday.