Finance

Major equity indices logged consecutive losses as rising oil prices sparked renewed inflation concerns ahead of next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting. Current derivatives pricing shows that market participants see a roughly 60% probability of an interest rate hike from central bank officials.

The U.S. Treasury announced a dramatic expansion of its longer-term debt buyback operation, indicating it could purchase up to $6 billion in securities. The strategic move is designed to inject critical liquidity into the fixed-income market and suppress surging benchmark yields.

Digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum saw localized pressure, keeping them capped under previous multi-week highs as Middle Eastern geopolitical escalations continue. Analysts warn that non-yielding risk assets face localized headwinds if persistent inflation prompts central banks to raise interest rates.