A general view shows the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-08-17T05:15:43Z<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (AP) \u2014 Shares were mostly higher Monday in Asia after U.S. stocks edged back from their all-time high<\/a><\/span> following a weaker than expected<\/a><\/span> report on the U.S. economy. <\/p>\n U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices were mixed. <\/p>\n Tokyo\u2019s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.3% to 68,929.33 after the Japanese government reported the economy grew<\/a><\/span> slightly faster than forecast in the April-June quarter, expanding at a 1.1% annual pace even as private spending and investment stayed flat and export growth slowed. In quarterly terms, the economy grew 0.3% in the second quarter of the year. <\/p>\n In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng picked up 1.6% to 25,521.99, while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.8% to 3,960.19. <\/p>\n Markets in South Korea were closed for a holiday. <\/p>\n In Australia, the S&P\/ASX 200 slipped 0.4% to 9,076.90.<\/p>\n Taiwan\u2019s Taiex gained 0.5%, while the Sensex in India fell 0.5%. <\/p>\n On Friday, The S&P 500 fell 0.2% following a report that showed shoppers spent less at U.S. retailers<\/a><\/span> last month. Such data could help the Federal Reserve<\/a><\/span> keep interest rates<\/a><\/span> low, which is positive for investors. But it also suggests growth may be slowing at a time when inflation<\/a><\/span> is still high. <\/p>\n The Fed has no good tool to fix both a stagnating economy and high inflation at the same time, which is why what\u2019s called \u201cstagflation\u201d is seen as a worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite shed 0.3%.<\/p>\n