Asian Stock Market: Diverges with Wall Street on overnight risk-off, Fed Powell in focus

• Asian equities have tumbled as risk-off soars ahead of Fed Powell’s testimony.
• Household spending is likely to disrupt quantity-wise as a higher inflation rate is depreciating their paychecks.
• Oil prices have tumbled to near $105.00 as the odds of a slump in the global demand accelerate.

Markets in the Asian domain have witnessed a steep fall as the sentiment turned risk-off after the closing bell on Wall Street. The US dollar index (DXY) has been strengthened after stabilizing above Tuesday’s high at 104.60 and is now aiming to recapture Monday’s high at 104.82. The expectations of a hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve (Fed) chair Jerome Powell in his testimony have underpinned the negative market sentiment.

At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 dropped 0.10%, China A50 eased 0.46%, Hang Seng surrendered more than 1%, and Nifty50 tumbled 0.80%.

Taking into account, the runaway inflation and an extremely tight labor market in the US economy, Fed chair Jerome Powell is expected to sound extremely hawkish in his testimony. Household spending is likely to disrupt quantity-wise as soaring price pressures are depreciating their paychecks. No doubt, Fed Powell could dictate a continuation of a June monetary policy announcement for July. This may accelerate the recession fears but the Fed is left with no other option than to paddle the interest rates.

On the oil front, advancing odds of a slump in the global demand are forcing the market participants to dump fossil fuels. The oil prices have tumbled to near $105.00 and are expected to add losses are more interest rate hikes by various central banks are on their way.