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US: Wall Street's three major stock indexes on Thursday registered record closing highs for the second day in a row after the Federal Reserve reassured investors about the prospects for rate cuts this year while chip stocks rallied after Micron Technology's upbeat forecast.

Asia: markets in Asia-Pacific region were trading on a mixed note as investors assessed Federal Reserve's policy outcome

India: India's benchmark equity indices gained for the second day, with financial services stocks contributing the most to advances following the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged. Market is expected to open on flattish note and likely to witness sideways move during the day.

Global Economy: Japan consumer price index (CPI) inflation rose as expected in February, rising well above the Bank of Japan’s annual target rate and giving more credence to the central bank’s recent policy shift. Core CPI inflation which excludes volatile fresh food prices, grew an annualized 2.8% in Feb, official data showed on Friday. The reading was in line with expectations and picked up sharply from the 2% seen in the prior month- where it had fallen to the BOJ's 2% annual target for the first time since early-2022. The U.S. current account deficit narrowed in the fourth quarter to the lowest level in nearly three years amid an increase in secondary income. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said that the current account deficit, which measures the flow of goods, services and investments into and out of the country, contracted $1.6 billion, or 0.8%, to $194.8 billion last quarter. That was the lowest level since the first quarter of 2021

Commodities: Gold prices edged higher on Friday and were set for a fourth weekly rise in five after the U.S. Federal Reserve maintained its interest rate cut projections for the year, boosting investor sentiment. Oil prices sank in early Asian trading on Friday on the possibility of a nearing Gaza ceasefire, which could loosen global supply, at the same time a stronger U.S. dollar and faltering gasoline dampened demand sentiment

Currency: US dollar was set for a second week of broad gains on Friday, with even a rate hike in Japan unable to dislodge it, as investors figure US rates are high and not falling yet.

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