Asian stocks mostly rose Thursday as technology shares supported markets and softer-than-expected US inflation reduced expectations for a second successive Federal Reserve rate increase on October 28. Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 2.4% to 68,355.81, while the Kospi, Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite also gained in early trading; Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.7%. CME's FedWatch tool put the odds of an October hike below 40%, down from more than 65% earlier in the week. US consumer prices rose 3.4% in August from a year earlier, below economists' 3.7% forecast, while the personal consumption expenditures gauge also stood at 3.4%. Stronger revised second-quarter growth and better-than-expected private hiring pointed to resilient economic activity. US stocks were mixed, Treasury yields remained near multi-year highs and oil prices fluctuated as markets assessed uncertainty over Iran-related crude flows and the Strait of Hormuz.