The US current account deficit expanded to $226.8 billion in the first quarter, surpassing analyst expectations, according to data released by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis on Wednesday.
Malaysia's central bank said on Wednesday it would step up efforts to support the ringgit, including measures to attract foreign funds and encourage state-linked firms and companies to repatriate overseas earnings.
New vehicle sales in Malaysia are on track for a decline this year as the industry grapples with margin pressures and soft consumer sentiment, analysts said.
Japan's services producer price index in May rose 3.3 per cent from a year earlier, central bank data showed on Wednesday, a sign of broadening inflationary pressure that will keep alive market expectations of further interest rate hikes.
Asian stocks traded mixed on Wednesday, with South Korean shares leading a regional rebound as easing tensions in the Middle East improved risk appetite, while investors remained wary of stretched technology valuations following a sharp global selloff in AI-linked stocks.
The U.S. Senate backed legislation on Tuesday directing President Donald Trump to halt U.S. military action against Iran, the latest rebuke of the Republican president from an increasingly restive Congress.