Asian equities advanced on Thursday after U.S. consumer prices rose 0.1% in July, matching expectations and easing pressure for another near-term Federal Reserve rate increase. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.97%, led by a 4.4% jump in South Korean stocks, while Japan's Nikkei gained 1.86% and S&P 500 E-minis were up 0.02% after Wall Street ended mixed overnight. FedWatch (CME Group's rate-odds tracker) showed markets pricing a 40% chance of a hike next month, down from 54% a week earlier, although Den Miki, senior rate strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities, said August CPI and firmer crude prices mean both the Fed and markets are likely to watch incoming data until just before the September Federal Open Market Committee (the Fed's policy-setting meeting). Oil eased but remained elevated, with U.S. crude at $82.58 a barrel and Brent crude (the global oil benchmark) at $88.35, as Washington and Tehran made no progress toward a permanent end to the Gulf war or reviving a June interim agreement. The dollar softened 0.06% to 159.32 yen as speculation grew that the Bank of Japan could raise rates next month rather than in December after wholesale prices rose 7.2% in July, while the dollar index held at 99.93 and the U.S. 10-year yield edged up to 4.688%. Reserve Bank of Australia Assistant Governor Christopher Kent said earlier cash rate increases were having their intended effect, the Australian dollar traded at $0.7062, and spot gold and silver rose to $4,419.28 and $65.50 an ounce.