Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as investors took a breather after the previous day’s rally and as they gear up for the release of key US inflation data later in the week. With Wall Street and London closed for public holidays, there were few catalysts to drive business, though comments from top European Central Bank officials reinforced optimism that borrowing costs in the eurozone will come down at its June meeting. Figures last Friday showing US consumer confidence picking up and inflation expectations coming down provided traders enough confidence to propel hopes for at least one interest rate cut before January. That has put a little downward pressure on the dollar against its major peers, with the yen also supported by growing speculation the Bank of Japan will hike borrowing costs again within the next few months. The main focus on trading floors, however, is Friday’s release of the US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation, which is forecast to have seen a slight slowdown in April from the previous month. The reading comes after a number of monetary policymakers have lined up in the past few weeks to warn that they were cautious about cutting rates too soon and wanted to see more data proving price pressures were easing. The next couple of days will see fresh comments from more central bank officials that investors hope will shine a light on their way of thinking.