Asia and Europe markets dip, USD slips after Moody's downgrades US credit rating

Asian and European stock markets have retreated while the US dollar has weakened following Moody's downgrade of the United States' long-term sovereign credit rating from Aaa to Aa1. The ratings agency cited fiscal deterioration, rising debt burden, and governance challenges as reasons for the downgrade. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8%, China's Shanghai Composite dropped 0.6%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1.1%. In Europe, the STOXX 600 index opened 0.5% lower, with banking and financial stocks leading the losses. The US dollar index has slipped 0.7% to 102.70, its lowest level in two months, as investors reassess the Federal Reserve's rate hike trajectory. EUR/USD has climbed 0.6% to 1.0920, while USD/JPY has plunged 1.1% to 138.50. Traders now await further commentary from the Fed and the US Treasury regarding the potential impact of the downgrade on monetary and fiscal policies.