Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Monday, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street on Friday, as traders reacted to data showing less than expected employment growth in the U.S. and Canada in July, which eased concerns about the outlook for interest rates and raised expectations the central banks will soon end their policy tightening. Most economists still expect another pause in interest rate hikes. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday.
"With the labor market very strong, wages rising solidly, and core inflation well above the Fed's target, odds are better than 50-50 that the Fed makes another quarter percentage point rate hike in the second half of 2023, most likely at the Fed's November 1 decision," said Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank.
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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.