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USD/JPY rose to a four-week high after the Bank of Japan left its policy rate unchanged.

Oil dropped in early Asian trade amid weak sentiment. Crude oil will likely see some volatility amid uncertainty surrounding U.S. political developments and new European sanctions targeting Russian oil exports, Tickmill said.

Gold edged higher in early Asian trade, despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by a quarter-point overnight.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 is ready to fall at the open, following U.S. stocks lower after the Fed reeled in expectations for rate cuts next year.

Officials penciled in fewer cuts than expected, sending major indexes lower.

U.S. crude-oil inventories fell for a fourth consecutive week, but the decline was smaller than analysts had forecast.

Prices have more than doubled since the start of the year, as severe droughts resulted in poor harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast--the world's biggest producers of cocoa beans--reducing global supplies.

European natural-gas prices traded 3% lower, likely due to profit-taking after jumping in the previous session on the EU saying it has no interest in continued flows of Russian gas through Ukraine.

Buy now, pay later lending is attracting deep-pocketed lenders. It could be a win-win.

As extended as some trends have become this year, investors shouldn't assume that they are about to revert to the mean.