Fears of a sharp economic slowdown in China and higher oil prices weighed on most Asian stocks on Thursday, but a dip in U.S. treasury yields offered some relief for broader markets worried by the prospect of aggressive rate hikes.

Pepco Group, owner of European discount retailer brands PEPCO, Poundland and Dealz, reported on Thursday a 17.5% increase in first-half revenue, driven by new store openings.

Pepco Group, owner of European discount retailer brands PEPCO, Poundland and Dealz, pledged to "protect prices" for cash-strapped shoppers, as it reported an increase of 17.5%in first-half revenue, driven by new store openings.

The dollar edged up on Thursday, supported by expectations for aggressive Federal Reserve monetary tightening, but it was well off the previous day's peaks amid nervousness about what G7 might say about its rapid appreciation.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan explained to its G7 counterparts the yen's recent "somewhat rapid" declines, finance minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Thursday, underscoring Tokyo's growing alarm over the currency's sharp fall to a two-decade low against the dollar.

(Reuters) -Oil prices firmed in choppy trade on Thursday as concerns about supply due to a potential European Union (EU) ban on Russian oil came to the fore, days after diminished supplies from Libya rocked the market.