Oil prices fell in Asia trading on Wednesday, dragged by worries over potential rate hikes by the European Central Bank (ECB) and Federal Reserve this month, as well as extended COVID-led lockdowns in China.
U.S. stocks traded lower toward the end of trading, with the Dow Jones dropping more than 200 points on Tuesday. All the three major indices recorded their third weekly loss in a row, with the Dow dropping around 3%, and the S&P 500 down around 3.3%.
Inflation jumped to a new all-time high of 8.9% in July, sparking a cost-of-living crisis in Europe for the 19 countries bound by the euro, fueled by rising energy costs.