The Melbourne skyline is reflected in the Maribyrnong River in the early morning light on April 18, 2023.
William West | AFP | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower on Wednesday, ahead of Australia’s July inflation numbers.
Minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s last meeting revealed that the central bank had considered raising interest rates as it strives to tame inflation.
Australia’s weighted CPI is expected to climb at a slower rate of 3.4% year on year, compared to 3.8% in June.
Futures for Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood at 7,996, lower than its last close of 8,071.2.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures also pointed to a weaker open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,170 and its counterpart in Osaka at 38,230 compared to the previous close of 38,288.62.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 17,871, lower than the HSI’s last close of 17,874.67.
Overnight in the U.S., all three major indexes finished higher as investors looked toward tech giant Nvidia’s earnings report due Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average inching up 0.02% to end at another record close of 41,250.5.
The S&P 500 and the tech heavy Nasdaq Composite crept up 0.2% to end at 17,754.82.
—CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han and Brian Evans contributed to this report.
