Asian stocks followed Wall Street higher on Friday, as rising jobless claims coupled with largely in-line U.S. consumer price inflation data spurred expectations for more Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Falling bond yields, easing tariff concerns and extravagant expectations for AI-related earnings growth also helped underpin investor sentiment heading into the weekend.
China's Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.1 percent to 3,870.60 after a recent string of gains. Beijing has warned of countermeasures after Mexico proposed a 50 percent import tax on Chinese and Asian cars to protect local jobs.
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Market Analysis
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.