Japan +1.29%. Japan inflation for January: Headline 4.3% vs. Expected 4.5%.
Incoming BOJ chief says low rates remain appropriate, has expressed support for the current monetary policy.
China -0.45%.
Hong Kong -1.30%.
Australia +0.30%. Westpac have raised their RBA forecast: Peak cash rate to 4.1% (from 3.85%).
India -0.10%.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks closed higher amid volatile trading Thursday as investors remained concerned about the path of the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 111 points, or 0.3%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.
Singapore’s manufacturing output decreased 2.7% in January 2023 on an annualized basis, lower than economists’ expectations of a 2.9% rise.
Oil prices extended gains for a second session on Friday as the prospect of lower exports from Russia offset rising inventories in the United States.
Brent crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.7%, to $82.82 per barrel by 0215 GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) rose 63 cents, or 0.8%, to $76.02 a barrel.
US futures lower. Dow Jones -0.07%; S&P 500 -0.07%; Nasdaq -0.24%.