Stocks mixed as US jobs data fans rate hike bets

HONG KONG: Markets ended mixed on Monday and the dollar held big gains as a blockbuster United States jobs report ramped up bets that the Federal Reserve (Fed) would announce more sharp interest rate hikes as it tries to tame runaway inflation.

While the employment reading — which was more than twice as high as expected — indicated that the world's top economy remained resilient despite rising prices and borrowing costs, it would complicate the US central bank's plans to tighten monetary policy.