Asian stocks uneasy ahead of Fed's last 2018 rate hike

• The Pacific sector is struggling to remain on-balance as investors brace for the Fed's last landing of the year.
• Japan's leading Nikkei 225 hs waffled below the key 21,000.00 handle.

Asian equities are trading thinly, but largely lower as investors brace for the US Federal Reserve's last rate call for 2018, with broader markets awaiting one more lift from the US central bank, and market participants keen to see how dovish the Fed has turned recently, with investors concerned that the Fed may have swung too dovish, dropping expectations for three more rate hikes in 2019.

Japan's Nikkei 225 is backing down, falling -0.70% as the index clips below ¥21,000.00, with Tokyo's Topix index declining -0.60%. China's indexes remain relatively more upright, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index in the green by 0.11%, while China's Shanghai Composite retreats by -0.40%. Australia's ASX 200 is down a scant -0.16%, and emerging markets remaining off-balance with the MSCI broad Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) index in the red for -1.12%.

Nikkei 225 Technical Levels