Prospect of Fed tapering hits global stocks.

Japanese shares (DXJ) slumped 4% after two Fed policy makers, including the dovish Charles Evans, said the U.S. central bank could start tapering as early as next month. The remarks sent the dollar lower against the yen, which in turn helped drag down the Nikkei. The USD-JPY (FXY) was -0.6% at ¥97.08 at the time of writing. Fear of tapering hit other bourses around the world as well, with U.S. stock futures solidly in the red.