Asian stocks today: Markets inch higher as US inflation remains low; Nikkei adds over 1%, HSI trades flat

Asian markets rallied Friday, buoyed by easing US inflation data and strong chipmaker Micron earnings, sparking hopes of interest rate cuts. Despite some analysts cautioning about data distortions, Wall Street reacted positively. Japan’s Nikkei surged as the Bank of Japan is expected to hike rates, potentially strengthening the yen against a weakening dollar.