Asian stocks declined on Friday as investors digested hawkish comments from some Fed officials and awaited a key U.S. jobs report due later in the day for further clarity on labor market conditions. However, most regional markets posted sharp weekly gains following a brutal September.
The dollar and Treasury yields pushed higher after Fed officials including Fed Governor Lisa Cook, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari backed further interest rate hikes to tame high inflation.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.