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Gold prices climbed to a two-week high on Thursday as U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell opened the door to cutting interest rates as early as September.

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Lim Hui Jie

Key Points

• Asian markets assess business activity readings from across the region, including the Caixin purchasing managers index from China.
• Investors will also be assessing the impact of comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who said that a rate cut in September is “on the table,” provided the inflation data continues to be encouraging.

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Lim Hui Jie

Key Points

• Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose as the country’s central bank raised benchmark interest rates to around 0.25%.
• This marks the first time since December 2008 that Japan’s benchmark interest rate stands higher than 0.1%.

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Jenni Reid

LONDON — European markets are set to see a mixed start to Tuesday, as earnings continue to dominate stock action and investors brace for U.K. and U.S. central bank decisions.

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Gold struggled for momentum on Tuesday as investors looked for more cues on when the U.S. central bank will cut interest rates from this week’s policy meeting and data releases.

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Lim Hui Jie

Key Points

• The Bank of Japan’s two-day monetary policy meeting kicks off Tuesday as traders for details on benchmark interest rates and the bond buying program.
• Other economic data out from Japan on Tuesday include its unemployment rate for July.

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Lim Hui Jie

Key Points

• Tokyo’s headline inflation slowed slightly to 2.2% in July from 2.3% in May, while its core inflation rate — which strips out prices of fresh food — remained unchanged at 2.2%, in line with expectations.
• The U.S. personal core expenditure index reading for June, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, will be released late Friday.

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Jenni Reid

LONDON — European markets retreated Thursday, with a flurry of corporate earnings and a selloff on Wall Street in focus.

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Gold prices rose on Wednesday as the dollar slipped with investors’ focus shifting to U.S. economic data due this week for fresh signals on the timing of the central bank’s interest rate cuts.

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Lim Hui Jie

Key Points

• China’s central bank cut the medium-term facility lending rate to 2.3% from 2.5%, in its latest move to stimulate the economy after lowering its loan prime rates on Monday.
• South Korea’s GDP grew 2.3% year on year, lower than the 2.5% expected by economists polled by Reuters. On a quarter on quarter basis, the country’s economy shrank 0.2%, compared to a 0.1% rise expected

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