Beijing, July 8 -- Asian stocks tumbled Monday after unexpectedly strong U.S. employment data tempered hopes the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, South Korea and Hong Kong all declined.

Fed leaders have said they are ready to cut rates to support economic growth amid a tariff war with Beijing. But investors questioned whether the Fed might think that is needed after Friday's data on June job creation.

Those data "have many questioning whether we will see just two rate cuts in 2019 and not what some call the required three" to push U.S. stocks higher, said Edward Moya of OANDA in a report.

Trade data due out this week from several countries and Fed chairman Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress o...