Asian Shares Mixed In Thin Holiday Trade

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks ended mixed on Monday as tensions escalated in the Middle East and China's central bank lowered a short-term policy rate and pumped more liquidity into the financial system in a bid to boost the world's second-largest economy. The dollar held steady in Asian trade while gold reached a new record high ahead of key U.S. economic data, speeches from Federal Reserve officials and central bank meetings in Australia, Sweden and Switzerland due this week. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Friday that inflation is falling more quickly than expected, giving the U.S. central bank space to ease more in the coming months. Oil extended last week's rally as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict appeared to escalate.