5 news to know to start the day at the markets

Asia-Pacific markets are mixed today, after Wall Street's tech-fueled rally dissipated.
Asian stocks have indeed struggled to find direction, while investors await data on US manufacturing inflation for clues on the direction of the Federal Reserve's interest rates.
The Asia Pacific stock gauge remained little changed, with gains in South Korea offset by losses in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Japanese stocks rose, supported by a rise in commodity companies and a slight weakness in the yen.
Wage negotiations in Japan concluded yesterday, with the first overall estimate expected on Friday.
Reports from local sources indicated that large companies offered “major” salary increases.
Strong payroll hikes could pave the way for the Bank of Japan to begin easing its ultra-accommodative monetary policy, with the central bank meeting next Monday and Tuesday.
In this context, the stock market day, with Europe almost opening and Wall Street ready to trade later, could be influenced by these 5 news from the world economy.
1.
Incoming US data The markets' attention is entirely focused on data on US producer prices, expected during the day, which feed the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index, as well as data on retail sales February detail.
The core PCE index is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation.
Thursday's data collection comes ahead of the Fed's policy meeting next week, where the focus will be on clues about how soon policymakers might begin the rate-easing cycle.
“Markets will be keeping an eye on US producer price data later today, as it could be used to confirm or refute this week's hotter CPI report,” said Matt Simpson, a senior market strategist at City Index Inc.
“This appears to be suppressing volatility more than usual in today's Asian session, not helped by the lack of economic data this session.” read also Are US stocks a bubble? Forecasts 2.
Fed rates still high, word from Yellen US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that it is "unlikely" that market interest rates will return to the levels they were at before the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a wave of inflation and higher yields.
Asked why White House projections released Monday showed sharply higher expectations for interest rates in the coming years than projections from a year ago, Yellen said the new numbers were in line with private sector forecasts.
3.
Yen Watched Special Expectations for the yen to outperform its peers this year are weakening, with strategists now predicting the currency will finish 2024 a few percent higher than where it started.
The yen's gains seen this month as the Bank of Japan prepares to end negative interest rates come after a 6% slump against the dollar in the January-February period.
Investors are excited by the prospect of a change in Japan's rate policy as early as next week, but are wary of the strength of the U.S.
economy and the likelihood that the yield gap between the two countries will remain wide.
read also 2024 will be the year of rate cuts.
What's about to happen? 4.
What fate for TikTok? The fate of an app used by 170 million Americans is now in the hands of 100 US senators.
Even before the House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday, 352-65, to ban TikTok unless its Chinese owner divested it, the short-video app had turned its lobbying efforts to the Senate, where many of the previous Legislative giants have gone to die.
TikTok has told employees it does not intend to change its approach to protecting user data even after US lawmakers passed a bill to ban the app in the country unless its Chinese owner sells it.
5.
US vs China, the challenge continues A Washington-based global trade association representing biotech companies is taking steps to “separate” itself from Chinese member Wuxi AppTec, its new CEO said in a letter, a sign of the tense ties between the two largest economies in the world.
Shares of Wuxi AppTec in Hong Kong fell more than 9%, while the stock in Shanghai fell 4.7%.
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