• Asia stocks are primed for a cautious open after US shares fell, weighed down by Federal Reserve meeting minutes that underscored the central bank’s hawkish outlook and prompted investors to increase forecasts for interest rate hikes.
• Equity futures for benchmarks in Australia and Hong Kong edged lower. The S&P 500 closed down 0.2% for its fourth consecutive decline while the Nasdaq 100 managed to edge into positive territory in the final minutes of Wall Street’s Wednesday session.