Stocks mostly rise as focus turns to US inflation data

HONG KONG, China — Asian markets mostly rose Monday as investors tried to move on from last week's upheaval fueled by US recession worries, with focus shifting to the release of key inflation and retail data.

After a painful collapse fuelled by a big miss on US jobs creation, equities managed to bounce back over the following days and ended Friday on a healthy note.

The gains were helped by a report showing fewer people than expected claimed unemployment benefits, soothing fears that the world's top economy was contracting.

However, analysts warned that while some calm has returned to trading floors, traders remained on edge and were nervously awaiting the release of the next round of indicators.

The consumer price index and retail sales reports this week could provide the Federal Reserve more room to cut interest rates.

Expectations are that the bank will lower borrowing costs 25 basis points next month, and at least once more before January, thanks to a string of data suggesting prices have been brought under control.

Still, Fed officials offered differing views on the outlook for rates.

Governor Michelle Bowman said she still thought inflation could bounce back and remained cautious about making any reductions too early.

But Boston Fed chief Susan Collins said officials could start cutting soon if data continued to show prices were being tamed.

"The real meltdown could come if we get a double whammy: higher CPI paired with lower retail sales," warned Stephen Innes.

"That combo would have folks running for the fire exits faster than you can yell 'stagflation'," he wrote in his Dark Side Of The Boom newsletter.

"And... after the latest (jobs) growth scare, a higher inflation print might do the damage all on its own."

All three main indexes in New York ended on a positive note Friday.

On Monday, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Taipei, Jakarta and Wellington rose, as did London, Paris and Frankfurt, while Shanghai, Singapore and Manila edged down.

Tokyo was closed for a holiday.

The yen weakened following last week's gyrations, which saw it surge to a six-month high against the dollar after the weak US jobs figures fanned Fed rate cut bets.

That came as the