·       Asian shares slid on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised rates, as expected, and kept most of its guidance for additional hikes next two years, dashing investor hopes for a more dovish policy outlook.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 1.4 percent, with Australian shares slipping as much as 1.3 percent to two-year lows.

·       Japan’s Nikkei skidded to a 15-month low on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve largely retained its plans to increase interest rates next year despite rising risks to growth, triggering a sell-off in global stocks.

The Nikkei share average tumbled 2.8 percent to 20,392.58, the weakest closing point since September 2017.

·       China’s main equity indexes closed down at two-month lows on Thursday after the country’s central bank announced a new targeted lending tool, amid the U.S. Federal Reserve raising rates and largely maintaining outlook for more hikes next year. ** At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.52 percent at 2,536.27.

The blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.77 percent, with its financial sector sub-index lower by 1.12 percent.