Market Outlook: Mixed Asia Markets, Fed Shift, and Apple in Focus

The US dollar declined after the US Federal Reserve hinted at a pause in the rate hiking campaign. Global equity markets ended largely flat, with US markets ending mixed in a volatile week driven by better-than-expected earnings, regional banking woes, debt-ceiling jitters, and optimism that the Fed is near the end of the tightening cycle. In the coming week, minutes of the recent Bank of Japan meeting is due on Monday; Australia Westpac consumer confidence data on Tuesday; US CPI and Germany inflation data for April are due Wednesday; the Bank of England rate decision, US producer price index for April and China April inflation numbers are due on Thursday; UK Q1 GDP and China new yuan loans data are due on Friday.