Asia stocks edge lower as Fed hike odds jump; Brent crude rises 0.2% to $78.03

Expectations for U.S. Federal Reserve rate hikes rose sharply, with Fed funds futures pricing a 54% chance of at least two 25-basis-point increases by year-end, up from 15.2%. U.S. equities fell, led by tech, with the Nasdaq Composite down 1.3% and the S&P 500 off 0.4%. Brent crude added 0.2% to $78.03 a barrel, while gold slipped 0.2% to $4,180.38 an ounce. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.6%, while Taiwanese stocks opened 0.9% higher to a new high.