Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday as investors evaluated China's recent stimulus efforts alongside rising oil prices and Middle East tensions ahead of the U.S. payrolls report.
In the first hour of Friday's trade, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 1.1%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat and South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5%.
U.S. stocks saw a mixed close on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.4% to 42,011.6, the S&P 500 down 0.2% to 5,699.9, and the Nasdaq ending flat at 17,918.5. Top gainers on the S&P 500 included MarketAxess Holdings, up 7.5%, and Valero Energy, rising 6.2%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures indicated a slight drop, reflecting ongoing investor caution amid regional and global uncertainties.
Meanwhile, China’s markets will reopen on October 9 following a holiday break, with recent stimulus measures likely to influence the next round of trading.
Oil prices also surged overnight, driven by fears of potential Israeli retaliation against Iran, while gold prices remained steady at $2,657.2.
In European markets, Germany’s DAX fell 0.8% and France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.3%.