- Asia's stocks fell after US equities struggled for direction, with traders looking for clues on the Federal Reserve's next policy steps in a jobs report due out later Friday.
- A measure of Asian equities fell, led by Japan, where the yen's five-day rally added to the downward pressure on stocks. The suggestion by a BoJ board member that a policy assessment be conducted added to the negative sentiment.
- Futures contracts for the S&P 500 fell after the index fell during the US session. It rose earlier this week in response to Fed's Powell signals of a slowing in the pace of hikes.
- According to swap markets, bets on where the central bank rate will peak have now dropped below 4.9%. The current benchmark ranges between 3.75% and 4%.