U.S. stocks ended mixed after July consumer prices rose 0.1% and matched expectations, reducing immediate pressure for another near-term Federal Reserve rate increase; the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.54%, the S&P 500 gained 0.26% and the Dow slipped 0.04%. The softer rates outlook then helped lift Asian equities, with MSCI's Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index up 0.97% and Japan's Nikkei up about 1.8%, led by chip and electronics names including Advantest, Kioxia Holdings and Murata Manufacturing. Investors continued to monitor the Iran conflict, elevated crude prices and later weakness in Nasdaq 100 futures after Cisco Systems issued a softer-than-expected AI data-center sales outlook.