Asia stocks edge up, buyers wary as markets await U.S. inflation test

HONG KONG: Asian shares eked out modest gains on Tuesday as buyers were held back by persistent global cost pressures, with investors turning their focus this week to U.S. inflation data and the prospects for further aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes.

The unexpectedly strong U.S. jobs data on Friday have raised the stakes for the July U.S. consumer prices report due on Wednesday, especially for the Fed's policy outlook.