US markets followed shares across Europe higher overnight, while the dollar also surged, ahead of the latest Federal Reserve meeting in the States which may map out a QE exit strategy.
The last month has seen financial markets become increasingly unnerved by suggestions the US Federal Reserve is beginning to contemplate curtailing the rate of quantitative easing.
The Nikkei endured further sharp losses on Thursday, entering a bear market as investors sold Japanese shares ahead of an expected tapering of QE by the US Federal Reserve.
Wall Street extended losses on Wednesday as fears deepened that the Federal Reserve will pull back its quantitative easing programme.
Japanese equities have started to regain some of the ground lost since the end of last week after the Nikkei rose 1.2% in Tuesday's trading.
The long-term "irreversible" trends I've discussed in detail in my upcoming book, $10,000 Gold, continue to develop.
Global markets soared on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve inadvertently released minutes from its latest policy meeting five hours earlier than planned.