Premarket: Global stocks slide ahead of U.S. Fed minutes while crypto soars

News Snapshot:

Stocks drifted lower while the dollar held firm on Tuesday as investors awaited minutes of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting to gauge the timing and extent of possible interest rate cuts this year. Gold eased back from Monday’s all-time peak, while crude oil declined on worries of U.S. interest rates staying high for longer as Fed officials maintained a cautious view on a recent easing of inflation. Cryptocurrencies ether and bitcoin climbed to fresh six-week peaks amid speculation that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may approve a spot ether exchange-traded fund. Markets currently factor in about 41...