Asian shares mixed ahead of inflation, earnings reports

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was virtually unchanged, losing 4 points to 26,396.83. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5% to 2,203.47 after the Bank of Korea raised its key rate by.5 percentage points. The weaker yen raises costs for both consumers and businesses who rely on imports of food, fuel and other needs. Wall Street is closely watching the Federal Reserve as it continues to aggressively raise its benchmark interest rate to make borrowing more expensive, a strategy that carries the risk of slowing the U.S. economy too much and pushing it into a recession. The Fed will release minutes from its last meeting on Wednesday, possibly giving Wall Street more insight into its views on inflation. . . .