Investors are desperate for signals the US Fed is ready to backtrack on interest rates with technology stocks suffering the most

A split on figures for China’s manufacturing output and the long nervous wait for a turnaround on interest rates weighed on investors

Japan’s benchmark index was 28% ahead for the year while China’s markets were the world’s worst major performers

Rising hopes of a new year U-turn on US interest rates lifted the mood across the region’s trading floors

"A more dovish Fed means the likelihood of recession in 2024 has fallen considerably," one market analyst said

Beijing revealed new draft curbs on gamers’ spending which weighed on tech stocks though there were hopes of more upbeat US data

A stalling US equities rally put the brakes on winning streaks across Asia, despite positive economic data from the world’s No1 economy

Japan’s benchmark reached a five-month high while Hong Kong’s leading index tracked overnight Wall Street gains

Despite weeks of speculation, the Bank of Japan kept its ultra-loose monetary policy unchanged with all eyes now on the US Fed

Speculation that the Bank of Japan might finally pull back from its uber-easy policy saw many investors keeping their powder dry on Monday

Mixed data out of China competed with new stimulus by Beijing for investor attention on Friday

A dovish US Fed boosted investor mood across most of the region but exporter equities in Japan suffered from its currency’s rally