Asian markets experienced a positive trend fueled by Wall Street's rally, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising by 1.3%. Expectations were for the Bank of Japan to maintain its interest rates at the upcoming board meeting. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve was set to announce its interest rate decision. In other parts of Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 1.8%, driven by tech stock purchases, while the Shanghai Composite saw a slight increase. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed by 0.2%, but South Korea's Kospi dipped by 0.1%. Indonesia's JSX index plummeted by 5% amid concerns over state-owned banks following the introduction of the Danantara sovereign wealth fund which failed to draw significant interest. On Wall Street, stocks advanced further with the S&P 500 rising by 0.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.9%. Intel saw a 6.8% increase after announcing a new CEO, while PepsiCo unveiled plans to purchase Poppi, boosting its stock by 1.9%. Tesla, however, experienced a 4.8% decline. Economic uncertainties stemming from policy decisions and tariffs have been impacting stock markets. Reports indicated weaker revenue in the U.S. retail sector, mainly due to lower-than-expected automobile sales and fuel costs. Despite a strong economy at the end of last year, concerns over a potential recession are affecting consumer and business confidence.