Investors up bets on 50bps U.S. rate cut

The greenback falls and the Dow hits a record high with investors increasingly betting on a 50bps interest rate cut from the Fed later this week. In Japan, the Nikkei is in the red as the yen strengthens past ¥140 /USD, while a CNBC survey shows a split over the timing of the BoJ’s next rate hike. Struggling chip maker Intel sees shares soar in after-hours trading following its announcement about cutting costs and reining in spending. Meanwhile, Microsoft props up its shares by boosting its dividend and launching a $60bn buyback scheme as it reaps the benefits of its early push into AI.