"Asia markets react to hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation, S&P 500 ends higher"

Asia-Pacific markets rose despite higher-than-expected U.S. inflation in August. The consumer price index (CPI) in the U.S. rose 3.7%, slightly higher than economists' expectations of 3.6%. However, the core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose 4.3%, in line with estimates. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.25% as unemployment numbers held steady at 3.7%. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.09%, while South Korea's Kospi inched up 0.85%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.3%, but mainland Chinese markets were in negative territory. In the U.S., the Dow Jones fell 0.2%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite saw modest gains.