SINGAPORE, July 11 Reuters Stocks rose on Thursday, with markets from Tokyo to New York at record highs, while traders counted down to U.S. data that is expected to show inflation easing and pave the way for rate cuts in September.

Bonds and the dollar were steady, keeping the yen on the weak side of 161 per dollar and near its lowest levels in decades.

Gains in heavyweight technology shares sent the SP 500 up 1 overnight to a sixth consecutive record closing high, and in Asia, Japan39;s Nikkei rose 1 to a record high at 42,426.

MSCI39;s broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan also gained 1 to a twoyear high. Taiwan stocks hit a record peak and Australia39;s ASX 200 was within a whisker of its alltime top.

The main driver is really the prospect of interest rate cuts, said Shane Oliver, chief economist and head of investment strategy at AMP in Sydney. If we get a good inflation read, it will tick one of Powell39;s boxes.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Capitol Hill overnight that more good data would build the case for the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates. Futures pricing implies about a 75 chance of a cut in September.

Economists forecast annual U.S. CPI slowed to 3.1 in June from 3.3 in May.

The Bank of Korea stood pat on interest rates and Governor Rhee Changyong told reporters that it was time to prepare to pivot to rate cuts.

A shift in tone at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Wednesday led to a sharp repricing…