Asian stocks surrendered early gains to end on a muted note on Thursday as investors awaited U.S. inflation data for December later in the day that might show price pressures eased from the previous month.
A higher-than-expected reading could force the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates at a sharp clip. The U.S. rate futures currently price in two 25-basis-point hikes in February and March.
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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.