• Shares in Asia were primed for a muted open Monday as investors look ahead to US inflation data due Tuesday that is expected to show a further slowing in core prices.
• Equities in Australia and share futures for Japan fell, while those for Hong Kong inched higher. Contracts for US stocks slipped in Asian trading, extending the downbeat end to the week in the US, where both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 declined.
• Support in Hong Kong equity futures follows positive signs for the Chinese economy over the weekend, when authorities reported the first rise in consumer prices since August. The 0.7% increase in February CPI exceeded consensus estimates and is welcome news for investors worried about deflation in the world’s second largest economy.