Asian stocks ended Thursday's session mostly lower as investors reacted to a mixed bag of corporate earnings from Japan and signs of growing deflationary pressures in China. The impasse over the U.S. debt ceiling overshadowed softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data.
A measure of Chinese consumer price inflation reached its lowest level in more than two years in April and factory gate deflation deepened, raising fresh worries about weak demand in the country.
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Market Analysis
May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.