Asian stock markets saw gains ahead of the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision, with investors speculating that the U.S. central bank may raise rates for the first time in three years. U.S. stock futures also rose slightly, reflecting optimism about the potential decision. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.4% to 63,721.89, despite official data showing Japan experienced a fourth consecutive month of trade deficit in August. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.3% to 6,711.62, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.1% and China’s Shanghai Composite index rose 0.6%. The performance of artificial intelligence-related stocks remained unpredictable, as top U.S. AI companies urged a slowdown in technological development to ensure safety. SoftBank Group, a major investor in OpenAI, fell 1% after a sharp rise the previous day. Meanwhile, Tokyo Electron, a chip equipment manufacturer, gained 1.4%, but Japanese memory maker Kioxia Holdings dropped 2.9%. South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both rose, with SK Hynix up 2.9% and Samsung up 1.9%. In Taiwan, the Taiex index jumped 1.1%, with TSMC, a leading AI chipmaker, rising 0.2%. Oil prices remained stable early Wednesday, following a rise the previous day due to ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as well as a critical oil pipeline closure in Saudi Arabia that affected global supply. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell slightly to $108.18 a barrel, though it remained significantly higher than its level before the war in late February. U.S. crude prices also dipped 0.8% to $104.94 a barrel. On Tuesday, U.S. stock markets saw declines, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq all falling. However, AI stocks showed some resilience, with companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices rising slightly. Higher U.S. Treasury yields have added pressure to the stock market, as rising government bond yields reflect increased inflationary concerns and a growing national debt. The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.98% early Wednesday, after reaching a multi-year high of 5.04% this week. In currency markets, the U.S. dollar rose slightly against the Japanese yen, reaching 155.36 yen, while the euro weakened slightly to $1.1543.