- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
Asian markets fluctuate on uncertainty over Fed rate plan
Asian markets swung between gains and losses Wednesday as traders tried to ascertain how big an expected Federal Reserve interest rate cut would be later in the day, while the dollar held gains against the yen after forecast-beating US data.
While the US central bank is widely expected to slash borrowing costs for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the big question is on whether officials will go for a bumper move before a series of smaller ones into the new year.
The prospect of easier financial conditions has helped push markets higher this year, with several major indexes hitting multiple records, but observers warned that with prices elevated and a period of cuts baked in, equities could be in for a period of volatility.
Wall Street had a tepid day, with many investors keeping their powder dry until the Fed's decision and boss Jerome Powell's post-meeting statement later Wednesday.
Market-watchers have said the Fed has a tough balancing act, warning that a big cut could signal the bank is worried about the economy, while a smaller one might suggest it is behind the curve on easing policy.
"Our economists have made the case for a 25-basis-point cut, noting that while the labour market evolution could readily support a 50 basis point move to kick off the long-awaited cutting cycle... officials have not made that case, and the data is not emphatic enough to force their hand," said National Australia Bank's Rodrigo Catril.
"Yet media reports from well connected journalists over the weekend have made the point that a discussion for a 50-point cut was very much alive."
He said traders now saw a 70 percent chance of a 50-point cut, adding that "when pricing expectations are this high, it is very rare for the (policy board) to disappoint".
Still, Asian markets fluctuated.
Tokyo rose as a weaker yen helped exporters. The Nikkei 225 had fallen more than one percent the previous day as the currency sat around highs not seen since summer 2023.
Shanghai rose as investors returned from a four-day weekend, while Singapore was also up. Sydney, Wellington and Taipei fell, with Manila flat.
Hong Kong and Seoul were closed for holidays.
The yen's drop came after data from the US Commerce Department reported that consumer spending cooled in August, but not as much as expected, suggesting the world's top economy remained in good health.
The reading also helped temper lingering worries that the country was in danger of slipping into recession, which had been stoked in the past two months by big misses on jobs creation.
After the Fed's day in the spotlight, focus will turn to the Bank of Japan as it prepares for its own policy announcement Friday, when it is widely expected to stand pat, having hiked twice this year -- the first in 17 years.
- Key figures around 0210 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 36,462.28
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 2707.64
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: Closed for a holiday
Dollar/yen: UP at 141.67 yen from 141.22 yen on Tuesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1130 from $1.1116
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3170 from $1.3162
Euro/pound: UP at 84.52 pence from 84.46 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $70.96 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.2 percent at $73.52 per barrel
New York - Dow: FLAT at 41,606.18 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,309.86 (close)
M.A.Colin--AMWN