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Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday after the latest update on U.S. inflation came in almost exactly as economists expected, and data on Japan’s economy showed relatively healthy growth. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.8% to finish at 36,726.64. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.3% to 17,054.92, while the Shanghai Composite surged 1.0% to 2,877.73.

Morgan Stanley, a major U.S. investment bank, disclosed holding approximately $188 million in shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF as of June 30.

The U.S. government recently transferred nearly $600 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC), seized from the Silk Road dark web marketplace, to a wallet associated with Coinbase Prime.

(Reuters) -Oil prices rose on Thursday, supported by optimism that potential U.S. interest rate cuts will boost economic activity and fuel consumption though concerns over slower global demand curbed gains. Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday after U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly and on easing worries about a wider Middle East conflict. U.S. consumer prices rose moderately in July and the annual increase in inflation slowed to below 3% for the first time in nearly 3-1/2 years, reinforcing expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month.

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TOKYO (Reuters) -Asian stocks were firm on Thursday while the dollar remained on the back foot amid lower U.S. Treasury yields after benign consumer inflation data overnight reinforced bets for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates next month. U.S. S&P 500 futures pointed 0.16% higher after the cash index advanced 0.4% on Wednesday, buoyed by the slowest rise in the consumer price index in more than three years. "The report 'checked the box' for the Fed to start cutting rates in September," TD Securities analysts wrote in a report.

(Bloomberg) -- Equities in Japan and China advanced, following gains on Wall Street, as investors cheered a string of encouraging economic data points from the world’s three largest economies.Most Read from BloombergManchester Is Giving London a Run for Its MoneyBoston’s Broke and Broken Transit System Hurts Downtown RecoveryA Warehouse Store Promises Housing for South LA, in BulkBiden Invests $100 Million to Fuel Housing ConstructionJohannesburg Mayor Quits Amid Infighting, Financial WoesJapan’