SINGAPORE — Stocks in Asia-Pacific traded mixed Friday morning, as investors await the release of Australia’s retail sales figures for August.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.72% in early trade while the Topix index advanced 0.73%. The moves came as the Tokyo Stock Exchange returned to trade on Friday following a halting of trade yesterday caused by a hardware glitch.
Meanwhile in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.13%.
Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index traded 0.07% higher.
Australia’s retail sales data for August are set to be released at around 9:30 a.m. HK/SIN on Friday.
Markets in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and India are closed on Friday for holidays.
Overnight stateside, stocks on Wall Street closed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 35.20 points, or 0.1%, to 27,816.90. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% 17.80 points, to 3,380.80, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.4% to 11,326.51.
The limited movement in stocks on Wall Street came as investors watched for developments on coronavirus stimulus talks, with a deal remaining elusive following another day of discussions between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Currencies and oil
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 93.739 after sliding from levels above 94.4 this week.
The Japanese yen traded at 105.56 per dollar, in a trading week that has seen it at levels below 105.4 and above 105.6 against the greenback. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7181, following its ascent this week from levels below $0.707.
Currencies slipped in the morning of Asian trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 0.54% to $40.71 per barrel. U.S. crude futures also shed 0.54% to $38.51 per barrel.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap:
- Australia: Retail sales data for August at 9:30 a.m. HK/SIN
Source: CNBC