Asian stocks ended narrowly mixed on Monday as investors awaited several central bank rate decisions in the region as well as key U.S. inflation readings for guidance on monetary policy.
Despite most Fed officials dismissing higher prices as transitory, investors remain concerned that a high inflation reading could revive talks of an early tapering of the Fed's bond buying program. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said Friday the Fed might have to discuss the matter sooner than later.
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Market Analysis
May 15, 2026 15:25 ET Apart from the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the main news on the economics front this week included key price data from the U.S. and the first quarter economic growth figures from major economies. Both consumer prices and producer costs have started to reflect the effect of supply shocks due to the Middle East conflict. In Europe, GDP data was in focus, while inflation data from China dominated the news flow in Asia.