📈 Asian Markets Steady Ahead of Fed Rate Hike; Brent Sips to $108.13

• Global Equities & Bonds: MSCI Asia-Pacific snapped a 4-day losing streak, rising 0.5%, supported by Korean and Taiwanese equities. Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3%, and S&P 500 futures gained 0.2%. US 10-year Treasury yield flattened at 4.9938% after briefly hitting a 3-year peak near 5%. • Monetary Policy Impact: CME FedWatch indicates a 93% probability of a 25 bps rate hike by the Federal Reserve. A potential pause risks market downside of 1.25%-1.75% for the S&P 500, according to JPMorgan analysts. The US Dollar Index dropped 0.1% to 99.601. Higher global interest rates continue to exert pressure on emerging markets like Sri Lanka's borrowing costs. • Commodities & Energy: Brent crude futures dropped 0.6% to $108.13/barrel following a 2.9% surge driven by export suspensions at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu hub. Sustained high oil prices threaten energy-importing economies, posing inflation and current account risks for Sri Lanka's petroleum reliant trade balance. • Digital Assets: Crypto markets stabilized after the US Senate rejected comprehensive crypto legislation; Bitcoin dropped 0.1% to $75,821.94 while Ether slipped 0.2% to $2,402.12.