Global News

[ad_1] MSCI’s global equities index lost ground on Wednesday after weaker-than-expected overseas data and as investors monitored a heating up of American-Chinese trade tensions while they awaited upcoming U.S. economic data and second-quarter earnings. Investors shrugged off U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes released on Wednesday that showed a Fed united in its June meeting decision to hold interest rates steady to buy time to assess whether further hikes would be needed. Minutes also showed most members expecting more policy tightening eventually. “If we continue to see a cooling of inflation, there may not be any further rate hikes, but nothing to that end was disclosed in the Fed minutes," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. “We’ll have a much better sense after we get another major data point on Friday with the jobs report and the inflation data next week." Putting a damper on equities overseas was the rele