Asian stocks near record highs ahead of Fed meeting
Asian stocks kept close to record highs this Monday, with South Korea's market up a bit after a tax tweak and Australia's down slightly.
The US dollar barely budged, as all eyes are on the Federal Reserve's big interest rate decision coming up September 16-17.
What to expect from the Fed
The Fed is expected to cut rates for the first time in nine months—a move that could shake up global markets and currencies.
Investors are also hoping for hints about what comes next, especially since US job growth has slowed.
Plus, central banks in Canada, England, and Japan will announce their own policy updates this week.
Other factors at play
Oil prices stayed flat despite mixed signals about supply and efforts to limit Russian exports.
Meanwhile, France got its credit rating downgraded due to political drama and rising debt—pushing its borrowing costs higher.
And keep an eye on China: new data could show slower factory output but stronger retail sales, which might sway global growth forecasts and currency trends.