SYDNEY—Share markets were choppy on Monday as a slew of Chinese economic data confirmed the deadening effect of coronavirus restrictions on consumer spending, prompting Beijing to again ease monetary policy. A holiday in the United States made for thin trading, but that did not stop Treasury futures from sliding further and Brent crude hitting a three-year top of $86.71 a barrel. Worryingly for the world’s second-largest economy, retail sales rose only 1.7 percent year-on-year in December, missing forecasts for a 3.7 percent rise. Industrial output did fare better and the economy as a whole grew a little above forecasts at 4.0 percent in the fourth quarter. China’s central bank was also surprised by cutting some key lending rates by a sizable 10 basis points. “The cut was larger than expected, suggesting that the authorities have become more preoccupied about weakness in the economy,” said Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at …