Asian stocks fluctuated and the dollar dipped on Monday after U.S. economic data raised concerns about persistent inflation and slower growth. Japan’s Nikkei 225 ended up less than 0.1% at 39,174.25 after initially rising on news that the economy grew last year, buoyed by steady exports and moderate consumption. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.2% to 8,537.10.
South Korea’s Kospi surged 0.8% to 2,610.42. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng reversed course to slip less than 0.1% to 22,616.23, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.3% to 3,355.83. Markets around the world are closely watching economic data and political developments.
Analysts anticipate potential impacts from recent tariff announcements by the Trump administration, which have not yet taken full effect, leaving room for international negotiations. The Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan aim to maintain inflation at 2%.
asian market response to U.S. data
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 28 cents to $71.02 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 34 cents to $75.08 a barrel. The U.S. dollar declined to 151.90 Japanese yen from 152.25 yen.
The euro dropped to $1.0472 from $1.0495. Wall Street had its worst session of the year last Friday, as U.S. data pointed to a slowing economy and sticky inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 748.63 points, or 1.69%, to close at 43,428.02.
The S&P 500 slid 1.71% to 6,013.13. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.2% to 19,524.01.
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