(Bloomberg) — Asian equities fell as traders geared up for a week of political risks and inflation data which may help guide bets on the outlook for global interest rates.
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The Japanese yen was trading below 160 per dollar as top currency official Masato Kanda said authorities are ready to intervene to support it 24-hours a day, if needed. A gauge of Asian currencies was little changed.
European and US share futures were also softer after the S&P 500 fell on Friday.
The moves come as markets are at a critical juncture for positioning into the second half of 2024 with the outlook for central bank policy rates from New Zealand to Japan and the US unclear. Inflation prints in Australia and Tokyo, as well as the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of consumer costs, may yield clues, but political risks loom large.
“How the US dollar trades into month-end will be…
