BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise Ahead of September Meeting 
Brazil Cuts Selic Rate to 14% as Inflation Eases but Risks Persist 
Oil Prices Set for Steep Weekly Losses as Hormuz Deal Stalls 
Oil Prices Surge as Iran Hormuz Restrictions Renew Supply Fears 
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Gold Prices Surge 7% as Dollar Falls, Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
US Job Growth Seen Picking Up in July 
US Stock Futures Rise as Markets Await July Payrolls Data 
Philippine GDP Growth Slows to 2.3% in Q2 
Dollar Holds Near Six-Week Low as Yen Loses Momentum Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data 
The U.S. Treasuries gained during Wednesday’s afternoon session amid a relatively quiet day ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) monetary policy meeting minutes for the month of October, scheduled to be released today by 19:00GMT.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield plunged 4 basis points to 1.747 percent, the super-long 30-year bond yield also slumped 4 basis points to 2.214 percent and the yield on the short-term 2-year traded nearly 1-1/2 basis points down at 1.584 percent by 12:15GMT.
In the US, the main release today will be the minutes from the Fed’s October policy meeting, which seem likely to reiterate the message from Powell’s post-meeting press conference and testimony to Congress last week, that monetary policy is on hold for now, Daiwa Capital Markets reported.
With ongoing unease about the lack of progress on US-China trade issues compounded by the US Senate passing a bill supportive of Hong Kong’s protestors, the mood in the main Asian-Pacific markets was downbeat today with declines in all major equity indices, the report added.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Futures remained tad down at 3,111.38 by 12:20GMT.
