Fed's Hammack said underlying inflation may be above the Fed's target.

Hang Seng Index futures night session closed down 0.09% at 24,501, trading 9 points below the cash index.

In a Reuters survey of 34 economists conducted Sep 17-24, 33 forecast the Reserve Bank of Australia will raise the cash rate by 25bps to 4.60% at its Sep 29 meeting, the highest since late 2011. It would be the fourth hike this year, bringing cumulative tightening to 100bps. Persistent inflation and resilient growth were cited as reasons for further tightening, but most respondents view September as likely the final hike in this cycle; a minority expect rates to reach 4.85% by year-end. The poll marks a notable shift from a month earlier, when nearly all economists expected the RBA to hold and the median peak was 4.35%.