Australia's annual inflation rate accelerated to 4.3% in September from 4.0% in August, beating the 4.2% forecast, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed. The figure lifted the Australian Dollar against the US Dollar.
Eight OPEC+ producers are expected to keep their December production targets unchanged when they meet on Sunday, as attention shifts toward setting new output baselines for 2027.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept its Official Cash Rate at 2.75% on Wednesday, defying market pricing for a 25-basis-point increase. The New Zealand Dollar fell sharply on the decision.
The US Federal Reserve's policy committee began a two-day meeting, with traders pricing in a near-90% chance of no change to interest rates, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
US stocks and gold rose while the dollar firmed and oil fell as traders awaited Wednesday's Fed decision.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept its benchmark interest rate at 2.75% on Wednesday, defying expectations for a rise to 3.00% and leaving it unchanged from the prior reading.
Australian inflation data released at 00:30 GMT came in slightly above expectations, with the Australian dollar edging higher in the 30 minutes that followed.
US new home sales came in at 676K in September, above the 651K consensus but below August's 684K. Currency, gold and stock index futures showed modest moves in the 30 minutes that followed.
US durable goods orders rose 1.8% in September, just short of the 2.0% consensus but well above the prior month's flat reading, with little reaction across major markets.
Greece's debt agency auctioned €500 million of three-month Treasury bills at a yield of 2.44%, up from 2.38% at an earlier sale this month, signalling slightly higher short-term borrowing costs.