Asian stocks rise as US inflation data boosts tech rally

Asian stocks rose on Friday, extending a fourth week of gains, as moderating US inflation reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates next month. MSCI's Asia-Pacific equities gauge climbed 0.5%, taking its weekly advance to 2.7%. Technology stocks led the rally, with South Korea's Kospi Index rising and Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix gaining over 15% for the week. The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Thursday, while the Nasdaq 100 hit its highest since late June.

The Hindu Businessline reports that the easing of uncertainty around US monetary policy has become a catalyst for a tech rebound, with US wholesale inflation decelerating more than expected in July. The producer price index rose 4.7% year-on-year, down from 5.5% in June. Money markets now price about a 35% chance of a Fed rate hike in September. Hindustan Times adds that global shares rose on Monday after weak US retail sales data further reduced rate-hike bets, with the probability of a September hike falling to about 30%.

Investors are watching for China's July economic data and earnings from major US retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Walmart this week. The Bank of Japan is likely to raise rates in September or October, according to sources cited by The Hindu Businessline. In other markets, Brent crude traded around $87.10 a barrel, gold slipped 0.7% to $4,320 an ounce, and the yen remained near 159.40 per dollar.