Asian shares are mixed, with most markets in the region closed for the Christmas holiday. On Friday, Wall Street closed its eighth straight winning week with a quiet finish. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to sit less than 1% below its record. The Dow slipped less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged 0.2% higher. Data released Friday showed spending by U.S. consumers unexpectedly rose during the month. While that’s a good sign for growth for an economy driven mainly by consumer spending, though it could also indicate underlying pressure remains on inflation. Traders expect the Federal Reserve to cut its main interest rate by at least 1.50 percentage points by the end of next year.
