Asian Stocks Slip, Dollar Hovers Near 2-Year Peak as Fed Signals Slowdown in Rate Cuts

The hawkish stance from the Fed led to a sharp selloff on Wall Street, which carried over to Asian markets. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 1.6%

Asian stocks slid on Thursday, and the U.S. dollar hovered near a two-year peak after the Federal Reserve signaled a slowdown in rate cuts for 2025, while the Japanese yen weakened after the Bank of Japan held interest rates steady.

The hawkish stance from the Fed led to a sharp selloff on Wall Street, which carried over to Asian markets. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 1.6%, with tech-heavy Taiwan stocks falling 1.2% and Australian shares down nearly 2%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 1,000 points on Wednesday, reflecting investor concerns over the Fed future plans. This somber market sentiment is likely to carry over to Europe, where Eurostoxx 50 futures fell 1.5%, and major indexes in Germany and France slid by 1.2% and 1%, respectively.

The Japanese yen touched a one-month low of 155.48 per dollar after the Bank of Japan’s decision to leave rates unchanged. The yen, which is down over 8% against the dollar this year, has been under pressure from a strong U.S. dollar and the widening interest rate gap between Japan and other major economies. It is set for a fourth consecutive year of decline.

Investors are now looking to comments from BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda to gauge the timing and extent of any future rate hikes. The market is currently pricing in 46 basis points of hikes from the BOJ by the end of 2025. Ueda is expected to hold a press conference at 0630 GMT to clarify the decision.

The Fed’s more cautious stance, coupled with the BOJ steady policy, underscores the challenges facing the global economy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted that some officials are concerned about the potential impact of Trump’s policies, such as higher tariffs and tax cuts, on inflation and interest rates.

“The risks that are clearly inherent here, and left partially unsaid, are what the Trump administration could bring to the table in terms of inflationary pressure,” said Rob Thompson, macro rates strategist at RBC Capital Markets.

The Fed shift towards caution sent shockwaves through markets. While the U.S. central bank lowered rates as expected, Powell’s remarks suggesting a slower pace of future cuts led to a significant market pullback. The Fed now projects only two quarter-percentage-point cuts by the end of 2025, half of what was anticipated in September.

“The Fed was more hawkish than we anticipated, but today’s shift in policy guidance reinforces our view of a long pause by the Fed at the start of 2025,” said Prashant Newnaha, senior Asia-Pacific rates strategist at TD Securities.

The expectation of fewer Fed rate cuts boosted the U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the currency against six rivals, pushing it to its highest level since November 2022. The index was last at 108.08 on Thursday.

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields reached a seven-month high of 4.524% on Wednesday, and were last at 4.514%.

In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin briefly dipped below the $100,000 level after Powell stated that the U.S. central bank has no intention of engaging in government efforts to accumulate large amounts of Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, the British pound held steady at $1.25835 ahead of the Bank of England’s policy decision later in the day, where no change in interest rates is expected despite signs of a slowing economy.

Gold prices rose by 0.8% to $2,609 per ounce, while oil prices dipped due to concerns over demand.