CNBC Daily Open: Markets brace for Fed's key inflation gauge
A trader works during the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 17, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City.

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here .

Asia stocks mixed

Asia markets were mixed Thursday as investors awaited key U.S. inflation data. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index as well as China's CSI 300 rose. But Japan's Nikkei 225 fell and the Topix dipped. Overnight, Wall Street ended lower as the 30-stock Dow slipped 0.06% and fell for a third consecutive session. The S&P 500 inched down 0.17%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.55%.

Google's Gemini problem

In a memo to employees, Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the company's artificial intelligence blunders. This comes after the tech giant was forced to take its Gemini image-generation feature offline for further testing. Pichai called the issues "problematic" and said they "have offended our users and shown bias."

Water scarcity threatens chip makers

Water shortages could threaten semiconductor firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, S&P Global Ratings said in a report. However, the world's largest contract chip maker's dominance allows it to "lock in end demand and compensate for lower unit sales with price rises," added the credit ratings firm.

Taking aim at Nvidia

Geely-backed car tech firm Ecarx is emerging as a contender in the booming electric car industry. While Nvidia has an edge when it comes to AI-based autonomous driving systems, Ecarx is aiming for the mass market and will launch new products that compete with the U.S. chip giant, co-founder and CEO Ziyu Shen told CNBC.

[PRO] A lesser-known pharma standout

Investors have been piling into major weight-loss drug manufacturers like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. But fund manager Freddie Lait picked a lesser-known firm that also stands out: McKesson Corp — the U.S. pharmaceuticals distribution company. Calling the company an "exciting idea," Lait noted that the 100-year-old business is "very defensive and very diversified."