US&nbsp;President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public.

"My biggest threat is the Fed," he said, according to excerpts released before the interview with "Trish Regan Primetime" airs. "I put a couple of other people there I’m not so happy with too but for the most part I’m very happy with people."

Last week, Trump criticized the US&nbsp;central bank twice, saying it was raising interest rates so swiftly that it threatened the country's economic health.

Nonetheless, in the face of a hot labour market and signs of inflation, the Fed has settled into a gradual policy tightening and is expected to raise interest rates again in December.

Past US&nbsp;presidents have been reticent to criticize the central bank because its independence is seen as important for economic stability. But Trump in the past week has called the Fed "crazy," "loco," "ridiculous," and "too cute."

Trump has said he is not trying to oust Powell, whom he appointed to replace former Chair Janet Yellen. The president also appointed two of the three other policymakers on the Fed's powerful Board of Governors, Randal Quarles and Richard Clarida.

"Can I be honest? I’m not blaming anybody," Trump said in the interview. "I put (Powell) there. And maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong, but I put him there."

The Fed independently makes policy decisions but regularly reports to Congress. Data since the Fed's last meeting in September has been in line with its portrait of a strong economy, and policymakers have said they expect to continue a rate-hike cycle that began in late 2015.

Republican US&nbsp;Representative Jeb Hensarling, who is set to retire as chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee that oversees the central bank, said Trump "clearly has his own style." But "I don't think the fact that he has publicly criticized the Fed, in any way shape or form, is going to impinge upon (its) independence," he told Reuters.

US President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public.

US President Donald Trump heaped more criticism on the Federal Reserve in an interview with Fox Business Network on Tuesday, extending his discontent beyond its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he has frequently critiqued in public. "My biggest threat is the Fed," he said, according to excerpts released before the interview with "Trish Regan Primetime" airs. "I put a couple of other people there I’m not so happy with too but for the most part I’m very happy with people." Last week, Trump criticized the US central bank twice, saying it was raising interest rates so swiftly that it threatened the country's economic health. Nonetheless, in the face of a hot labour market and signs of inflation, the Fed has settled into a gradual policy tightening and is expected to raise interest rates again in December. Past US presidents have been reticent to criticize the central bank because its independence is seen as important for economic stability. But Trump in the past week has called the Fed "crazy," "loco," "ridiculous," and "too cute." Trump has said he is not trying to oust Powell, whom he appointed to replace former Chair Janet Yellen. The president also appointed two of the three other policymakers on the Fed's powerful Board of Governors, Randal Quarles and Richard Clarida. "Can I be honest? I’m not blaming anybody," Trump said in the interview. "I put (Powell) there. And maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong, but I put him there." The Fed independently makes policy decisions but regularly reports to Congress. Data since the Fed's last meeting in September has been in line with its portrait of a strong economy, and policymakers have said they expect to continue a rate-hike cycle that began in late 2015. Republican US Representative Jeb Hensarling, who is set to retire as chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee that oversees the central bank, said Trump "clearly has his own style." But "I don't think the fact that he has publicly criticized the Fed, in any way shape or form, is going to impinge upon (its) independence," he told Reuters.

Trump widens Fed critique, calls it 'my biggest threat'

Asian stocks edged higher on Thursday as tensions between the United States and North Korea came off the boil, while the Federal Reserve&#39;s concerns about weak US&nbsp;inflation weighed on the dollar.

MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.5 per cent.

Japan&#39;s Nikkei slipped 0.1 per cent, weighed down by a stronger yen as the dollar wilted and shrugging off data showing the country&#39;s exports rose for an eighth straight month in July.

Australian shares gained 0.1 per cent and the Australian dollar inched up 0.1 per cent to $0.7931 after the country added 27,900 jobs in July, beating expectations for an increase of 20,000.

The unemployment rate remained at 5.6 per cent, as expected, although full-time employment fell by 20,300.

South Korean shares advanced 0.5 per cent after the leaders of both North Korea and the United States appeared to back off from their heated rhetoric from last week.

Trump on Wednesday praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a &quot;wise&quot; decision not to fire missiles towards the US&nbsp;Pacific territory of Guam, after North Korean media reported that Kim had delayed to decision while he waited to see what the US&nbsp;did next.

While that helped Wall Street close in positive territory overnight, concerns on the home front sent the dollar into reverse.

Trump announced the disbanding of two high-profile business advisory councils on Wednesday after eight executives quit in protest over his remarks blaming weekend violence in Virginia not only on white nationalists but also on anti-racism activists who opposed them.

Moreover, minutes from the Fed&#39;s July meeting released on Wednesday showed the central bank grew more wary about recent weak inflation, with some policymakers wanting to halt interest rate hikes until it was clear the trend was temporary.

Money market futures are now pricing in about a 40 per cent chance the Fed will raise rates by December, compared to just under 50 per cent before the Fed&#39;s minutes.

&quot;The Federal Open Market Committee minutes confirmed one thing, which is that the committee members are not on the same page and there is no clear date when the Fed will initiate the process of reducing the size of the balance sheet,&quot; Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets in London, wrote in a note.

&quot;Trump dissolving his major business groups makes the investment community even more pessimistic because this sets the stage for even more failure for him.&quot;

The dollar fell 0.3 per cent to 109.79 yen, extending Wednesday&#39;s 0.4 per cent slide.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major peers, dropped 0.2 per cent to 93.357 after Wednesday&#39;s 0.3 per cent loss.

The euro rose 0.1 per cent to $1.17835, extending its 0.3 per cent gain overnight, after the euro zone&#39;s second-quarter growth was revised to 2.2 per cent from a year earlier, from 2.1 per cent previously.

Bitcoin, which has surged over $1,500 this month on speculative demand for the digital currency, slipped slightly.

It fell about 1.5 per cent to $4,308.48 but remained within a whisker of its all-time high of $4,400 touched earlier this week.

In commodities, oil prices edged up but remained close to a 3-1/2 week low touched on Wednesday as rising US&nbsp;production offset a decline in stockpiles by the most in a year.

US&nbsp;crude was about 0.2 per cent higher at $46.88 a barrel, failing to make up most of Wednesday&#39;s 1.6 per cent slide.

Global benchmark Brent gained 0.4 per cent to $50.47, after the previous session&#39;s 1 per cent drop.

Industrial metals held gains following their surge overnight, underpinned by expectations of strong global demand and tight supplies.

Benchmark zinc on the London Metal Exchange set a new decade high of $3,145 a tonne on Thursday and was last up 0.2 per cent from its previous close at $3,126.

London copper gained 0.2 per cent to $6,545 a tonne, after hitting $6,580, its highest level since November 2014, earlier in the session.

Gold advanced 0.4 per cent to $1,287.51 an ounce, adding to Wednesday&#39;s 0.9 per cent jump.

Money market futures are now pricing in about a 40 per cent chance the Fed will raise rates by December, compared to just under 50 per cent before the Fed's minutes

Asian stocks edged higher on Thursday as tensions between the United States and North Korea came off the boil, while the Federal Reserve's concerns about weak US inflation weighed on the dollar. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.5 per cent. Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.1 per cent, weighed down by a stronger yen as the dollar wilted and shrugging off data showing the country's exports rose for an eighth straight month in July. Australian shares gained 0.1 per cent and the Australian dollar inched up 0.1 per cent to $0.7931 after the country added 27,900 jobs in July, beating expectations for an increase of 20,000. The unemployment rate remained at 5.6 per cent, as expected, although full-time employment fell by 20,300. South Korean shares advanced 0.5 per cent after the leaders of both North Korea and the United States appeared to back off from their heated rhetoric from last week. Trump on Wednesday praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a "wise" decision not to fire missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam, after North Korean media reported that Kim had delayed to decision while he waited to see what the US did next. While that helped Wall Street close in positive territory overnight, concerns on the home front sent the dollar into reverse. Trump announced the disbanding of two high-profile business advisory councils on Wednesday after eight executives quit in protest over his remarks blaming weekend violence in Virginia not only on white nationalists but also on anti-racism activists who opposed them. Moreover, minutes from the Fed's July meeting released on Wednesday showed the central bank grew more wary about recent weak inflation, with some policymakers wanting to halt interest rate hikes until it was clear the trend was temporary. Money market futures are now pricing in about a 40 per cent chance the Fed will raise rates by December, compared to just under 50 per cent before the Fed's minutes. "The Federal Open Market Committee minutes confirmed one thing, which is that the committee members are not on the same page and there is no clear date when the Fed will initiate the process of reducing the size of the balance sheet," Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets in London, wrote in a note. "Trump dissolving his major business groups makes the investment community even more pessimistic because this sets the stage for even more failure for him." The dollar fell 0.3 per cent to 109.79 yen, extending Wednesday's 0.4 per cent slide. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major peers, dropped 0.2 per cent to 93.357 after Wednesday's 0.3 per cent loss. The euro rose 0.1 per cent to $1.17835, extending its 0.3 per cent gain overnight, after the euro zone's second-quarter growth was revised to 2.2 per cent from a year earlier, from 2.1 per cent previously. Bitcoin, which has surged over $1,500 this month on speculative demand for the digital currency, slipped slightly. It fell about 1.5 per cent to $4,308.48 but remained within a whisker of its all-time high of $4,400 touched earlier this week. In commodities, oil prices edged up but remained close to a 3-1/2 week low touched on Wednesday as rising US production offset a decline in stockpiles by the most in a year. US crude was about 0.2 per cent higher at $46.88 a barrel, failing to make up most of Wednesday's 1.6 per cent slide. Global benchmark Brent gained 0.4 per cent to $50.47, after the previous session's 1 per cent drop. Industrial metals held gains following their surge overnight, underpinned by expectations of strong global demand and tight supplies. Benchmark zinc on the London Metal Exchange set a new decade high of $3,145 a tonne on Thursday and was last up 0.2 per cent from its previous close at $3,126. London copper gained 0.2 per cent to $6,545 a tonne, after hitting $6,580, its highest level since November 2014, earlier in the session. Gold advanced 0.4 per cent to $1,287.51 an ounce, adding to Wednesday's 0.9 per cent jump.

Asia shares up as North Korea tensions ease, wary Fed weighs on dollar

Gold&nbsp;rose today&nbsp;as the dollar slid after a weaker-than-expected US&nbsp;jobs data trimmed expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September.

US&nbsp;employment growth slowed more than expected in August after two straight months of robust gains and wages were tepid.

&quot;The disappointment in the nonfarm payrolls data has been translated into optimism for&nbsp;goldprices at the moment. We can expect prices to further rebound to $1,350 in a short-term,&quot; said Mark To, head of research at Hong Kong&#39;s Wing Fung Financial Group.

Spot&nbsp;gold&nbsp;was up about 0.2 per cent at $1,326.83 per ounce by 0652 GMT. The metal rose as much as over 1 per cent on Friday.

U.S.&nbsp;gold&nbsp;futures were up 0.3 per cent at $1,330.50.

&quot;Gold&nbsp;should continue to see interest support following Friday&#39;s jobs data as the chances of an interest rate rise in September pull back,&quot; MKS PAMP Group precious metals trader Sam Laughlin said in a note.

&quot;The support broadly sits around $1,315 - $1,320, while bulls will be looking for a break above $1,330,&quot; Laughlin said, adding that there was good buying interest from Japan on Monday.

Trading on Monday is expected to be quiet with the US&nbsp;out for the Labour Day holiday.

Spot&nbsp;gold&nbsp;may retrace to a support at $1,315 per ounce, as it failed to break a resistance at $1,330, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

On Friday, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said the US&nbsp;economy appears strong enough to warrant significantly higher interest rates.

Wall Street&#39;s biggest banks are sticking to bets that the Fed will raise interest rates once this year, and the increase would most likely occur in December after a tepid employment report for August quashed most talk of a move as early as this month.

Hedge funds and money managers reduced their bullish stance in COMEX&nbsp;gold&nbsp;contracts in the week to Aug. 30 to the lowest in nearly three months, US&nbsp;Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed on Friday.

&quot;Longs (positions) have been suffering from price correction and would be quite hard for them to sustain when prices are volatile. Speculators have to cut losses somehow,&quot; Wing Fung analyst To said.

The dollar&#39;s index against a basket of six major currencies was down 0.2 per cent at 95.664. A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated&nbsp;gold&nbsp;more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Spot silver was mostly flat at $19.40 an ounce, hovering near a two-week high of $19.44 hit on Friday.
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

US?employment growth slowed more than expected in August after two straight months of robust gains

Gold rose today as the dollar slid after a weaker-than-expected US jobs data trimmed expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September. US employment growth slowed more than expected in August after two straight months of robust gains and wages were tepid. "The disappointment in the nonfarm payrolls data has been translated into optimism for goldprices at the moment. We can expect prices to further rebound to $1,350 in a short-term," said Mark To, head of research at Hong Kong's Wing Fung Financial Group. Spot gold was up about 0.2 per cent at $1,326.83 per ounce by 0652 GMT. The metal rose as much as over 1 per cent on Friday. U.S. gold futures were up 0.3 per cent at $1,330.50. "Gold should continue to see interest support following Friday's jobs data as the chances of an interest rate rise in September pull back," MKS PAMP Group precious metals trader Sam Laughlin said in a note. "The support broadly sits around $1,315 - $1,320, while bulls will be looking for a break above $1,330," Laughlin said, adding that there was good buying interest from Japan on Monday. Trading on Monday is expected to be quiet with the US out for the Labour Day holiday. Spot gold may retrace to a support at $1,315 per ounce, as it failed to break a resistance at $1,330, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. On Friday, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said the US economy appears strong enough to warrant significantly higher interest rates. Wall Street's biggest banks are sticking to bets that the Fed will raise interest rates once this year, and the increase would most likely occur in December after a tepid employment report for August quashed most talk of a move as early as this month. Hedge funds and money managers reduced their bullish stance in COMEX gold contracts in the week to Aug. 30 to the lowest in nearly three months, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed on Friday. "Longs (positions) have been suffering from price correction and would be quite hard for them to sustain when prices are volatile. Speculators have to cut losses somehow," Wing Fung analyst To said. The dollar's index against a basket of six major currencies was down 0.2 per cent at 95.664. A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. Spot silver was mostly flat at $19.40 an ounce, hovering near a two-week high of $19.44 hit on Friday. (Reuters)

Gold up in wake of weak US jobs data

The Yen rose today as Bank of Japan chief, Haruhiko Kuroda left the markets guessing the central bank&#39;s policy plans 
 
Japan&#39;s top banker promised to release fresh measures if necessary while addressing a business seminar in Tokyo.&nbsp; 
 
He held off talks of scaling back on BOJ&#39;s easing measures and recognised the drawback of the bank&#39;s negative rate policy.&nbsp; 
 
It was designed to encourage lending but has hurt commercial banks&#39; profits. 
 
He&nbsp;however, gave some solid hints about the central bank&#39;s plans to oppose a slowing economy. 
 
Meanwhile, in Tokyo afternoon trade the Dollar fell to 103.44 Yen from 103.99 Yen in New York, while the Euro came down to 115.58 Yen from 116.02 Yen in US trade on Friday. 
 
The Bank of Japan&#39;s next policy meeting is September 20. 
 
Bloomberg News quoted Yousuke Hosokawa, head of foreign-exchange sales at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank,&quot;While Kuroda denied any speculation about tapering, he spurred some disappointment for those looking for clear clues on policy action this month.&quot; 
 
&quot;With markets losing direction after the US jobs data fell short of adding fuel to US rate hike expectations this month, Kuroda&rsquo;s comments were neither supportive for aggressive selling nor for buying of the Dollar,&quot; he said. 
 
The US Labor department on Friday, released US jobs data figures, revealing the economy created 151,000 net jobs in August, lower than the expected 180,000. 
 
Analysts were confused on whether the number was enough for the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. 
 
The Euro ticked up to $1.1172 from $1.1156 AFP reported. 
 
The Dollar weakened against most other Asia-Pacific currencies, including the Indonesian Rupiah, Taiwan Dollar and South Korean Won. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

While the Yen rose the Dollar weakened against other Asia-Pacific currencies

The Yen rose today as Bank of Japan chief, Haruhiko Kuroda left the markets guessing the central bank's policy plans Japan's top banker promised to release fresh measures if necessary while addressing a business seminar in Tokyo. He held off talks of scaling back on BOJ's easing measures and recognised the drawback of the bank's negative rate policy. It was designed to encourage lending but has hurt commercial banks' profits. He however, gave some solid hints about the central bank's plans to oppose a slowing economy. Meanwhile, in Tokyo afternoon trade the Dollar fell to 103.44 Yen from 103.99 Yen in New York, while the Euro came down to 115.58 Yen from 116.02 Yen in US trade on Friday. The Bank of Japan's next policy meeting is September 20. Bloomberg News quoted Yousuke Hosokawa, head of foreign-exchange sales at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank,"While Kuroda denied any speculation about tapering, he spurred some disappointment for those looking for clear clues on policy action this month." "With markets losing direction after the US jobs data fell short of adding fuel to US rate hike expectations this month, Kuroda’s comments were neither supportive for aggressive selling nor for buying of the Dollar," he said. The US Labor department on Friday, released US jobs data figures, revealing the economy created 151,000 net jobs in August, lower than the expected 180,000. Analysts were confused on whether the number was enough for the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. The Euro ticked up to $1.1172 from $1.1156 AFP reported. The Dollar weakened against most other Asia-Pacific currencies, including the Indonesian Rupiah, Taiwan Dollar and South Korean Won. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Bank of Japan chief leaves market confused over policy plans

Asian stocks turned lower today and the Yen surged after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) refrained from taking further stimulus steps, hours after the Federal Reserve&#39;s (Fed&#39;s) own review had struck a cautious note on its policy outlook. 
 
The Dollar was already under pressure after the Fed left interest rates unchanged overnight and became slightly less hawkish. While signalling that it still expected two rate hikes this year, the Fed also said slower economic growth would crimp the pace of monetary policy tightening in future years. 
 
Spreadbetters expected Europe to follow Asia&#39;s lead and saw a lower open for Britain&#39;s Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE), Germany&#39;s Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX) and France&#39;s Cotation Assist?e en Continu (CAC).&nbsp; 
 
The BOJ kept monetary policy steady and stuck to its optimistic view of the economy today even as renewed yen rises and slumping stock prices threaten to derail a fragile economic recovery. 
 
While the BOJ&#39;s decision did not come as a big surprise, expectations that the central bank will take action next month increased. But for now uncertainty over whether Britain will vote to quit the European Union is strengthening the Yen because of the Japanese currency&#39;s safe-haven status. 
 
&quot;The Bank of Japan are in a pickle and more than most will be really hoping that the UK don&#39;t vote to &#39;leave,&#39; or USD/JPY will be trading below 100 Yen and they will have to do something amazingly punchy just to stabilise assets,&quot; wrote Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne. 
 
&quot;On the other hand, even if the UK votes to &#39;remain&#39; and risk assets undergo some sort of relief rally, domestic inflation expectations shouldn&#39;t pick up greatly and they may need to ease in this scenario anyhow.&quot; 
Morgan Stanley Capital International&#39;s (MSCI) broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last down 0.9 per cent.&nbsp; 
 
Japan&#39;s Nikkei hit a two-month intraday low and was last down 2.6 per cent. 
 
South Korea&#39;s Kospi lost 0.8 per cent and Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng dropped 1.9 per cent. 
 
On the whole, investors were still cautious on worries Britain may vote to leave the European Union, which saw US stocks fall for a fifth straight session overnight despite the Fed&#39;s subdued view on interest rates. 
 
While the US central bank kept policy steady as widely expected and lowered its economic projections, it did signal that it still planned to raise rates twice in 2016. 
 
However, the Fed&#39;s conviction appeared shakier with six of its 17 policymakers projecting just one increase this year. Only one Fed policymaker had done so when economic forecasts were last issued in March. 
 
&quot;Although the Fed&#39;s projection tout two rate hikes, a rate hike in July is highly unlikely, which makes it questionable whether the Fed can raise rates twice in its three policy meetings left by the end of year,&quot; said Daisuke Uno, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank. 
 
The greenback was down 1.5 per cent at 104.400 Yen after hitting 104.320, its lowest since September 2014. 
 
The Yen also hit its highest level since January 2013 against the Euro and a four-year peak versus the Australian Dollar. 
 
The Euro inched up 0.1 per cent to $1.1272 after gaining 0.5 per cent overnight.&nbsp; 
 
The 10-year Treasury note yield slipped to a four-month trough of 1.545 per cent and added pressure on the Dollar. 
 
The recent bout of global risk aversion generated by Brexit fears have boosted safe-havens like government debt, sending the German and Japanese benchmark 10-year yields to record lows this week. 
 
The Brexit concerns also saw US crude oil fall 1 per cent to $47.52 a barrel, on track for a sixth straight day of losses. Brent crude was down 0.8 per cent at $48.59 a barrel. 
 
Spot gold touched $1,301.40 an ounce, highest since May 3, thanks to the Fed&#39;s seemingly more cautious approach to monetary tightening. Higher interest rates tend to diminish the appeal of non-yielding gold. 
(Reuters)

Bank of Japan's uncertainty over whether Britain would vote to quit the EU is strengthening the yen due to its safe-haven status

Asian stocks turned lower today and the Yen surged after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) refrained from taking further stimulus steps, hours after the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) own review had struck a cautious note on its policy outlook. The Dollar was already under pressure after the Fed left interest rates unchanged overnight and became slightly less hawkish. While signalling that it still expected two rate hikes this year, the Fed also said slower economic growth would crimp the pace of monetary policy tightening in future years. Spreadbetters expected Europe to follow Asia's lead and saw a lower open for Britain's Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE), Germany's Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX) and France's Cotation Assist?e en Continu (CAC). The BOJ kept monetary policy steady and stuck to its optimistic view of the economy today even as renewed yen rises and slumping stock prices threaten to derail a fragile economic recovery. While the BOJ's decision did not come as a big surprise, expectations that the central bank will take action next month increased. But for now uncertainty over whether Britain will vote to quit the European Union is strengthening the Yen because of the Japanese currency's safe-haven status. "The Bank of Japan are in a pickle and more than most will be really hoping that the UK don't vote to 'leave,' or USD/JPY will be trading below 100 Yen and they will have to do something amazingly punchy just to stabilise assets," wrote Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne. "On the other hand, even if the UK votes to 'remain' and risk assets undergo some sort of relief rally, domestic inflation expectations shouldn't pick up greatly and they may need to ease in this scenario anyhow." Morgan Stanley Capital International's (MSCI) broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last down 0.9 per cent. Japan's Nikkei hit a two-month intraday low and was last down 2.6 per cent. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.8 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.9 per cent. On the whole, investors were still cautious on worries Britain may vote to leave the European Union, which saw US stocks fall for a fifth straight session overnight despite the Fed's subdued view on interest rates. While the US central bank kept policy steady as widely expected and lowered its economic projections, it did signal that it still planned to raise rates twice in 2016. However, the Fed's conviction appeared shakier with six of its 17 policymakers projecting just one increase this year. Only one Fed policymaker had done so when economic forecasts were last issued in March. "Although the Fed's projection tout two rate hikes, a rate hike in July is highly unlikely, which makes it questionable whether the Fed can raise rates twice in its three policy meetings left by the end of year," said Daisuke Uno, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank. The greenback was down 1.5 per cent at 104.400 Yen after hitting 104.320, its lowest since September 2014. The Yen also hit its highest level since January 2013 against the Euro and a four-year peak versus the Australian Dollar. The Euro inched up 0.1 per cent to $1.1272 after gaining 0.5 per cent overnight. The 10-year Treasury note yield slipped to a four-month trough of 1.545 per cent and added pressure on the Dollar. The recent bout of global risk aversion generated by Brexit fears have boosted safe-havens like government debt, sending the German and Japanese benchmark 10-year yields to record lows this week. The Brexit concerns also saw US crude oil fall 1 per cent to $47.52 a barrel, on track for a sixth straight day of losses. Brent crude was down 0.8 per cent at $48.59 a barrel. Spot gold touched $1,301.40 an ounce, highest since May 3, thanks to the Fed's seemingly more cautious approach to monetary tightening. Higher interest rates tend to diminish the appeal of non-yielding gold. (Reuters)

Yen surges after Bank of Japan refrains from offering more stimulus, Asian stocks down

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Trump widens Fed critique, calls it 'my biggest threat'

Asia shares up as North Korea tensions ease, wary Fed weighs on dollar

Gold up in wake of weak US jobs data

Bank of Japan chief leaves market confused over policy plans

Yen surges after Bank of Japan refrains from offering more stimulus, Asian stocks down