Business

Asian stocks drift ahead of key US job report

Posted October 01, 2015 7:00 am

By KELVIN CHAN

Trader Richard Newman, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. U.S. stocks started a new month lower a day after the market wrapped up its worst quarter in four years. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) - Asian stock markets were muted on Friday as investors waited for a U.S. jobs report that could influence whether the U.S. Federal Reserve chooses October or December for its first interest rate hike in nearly a decade.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.1 percent to 17,705.67 while South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.1 percent to 1,980.93. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rebounded after a holiday, jumping 2.2 percent to 21,300.56 while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.4 percent to 5,091.30. Markets in mainland China are closed for holidays until Oct. 8. Stock benchmarks in Southeast Asia were lower.

JOBS REPORT: With no major regional economic data due, Asian investors were focused on Friday's U.S. employment report. Employers in the world's biggest economy are expected to have added a healthy 206,000 jobs in September, resulting in the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.1 percent, according to analysts' forecasts. The numbers are taken into consideration by the Fed as it mulls raising interest rates from record low levels, with its next decision scheduled for Oct. 28. The following policy meeting is in December. However, there are worries a rate hike could also add to uncertainty in global financial markets as many countries struggle with slower than average economic growth.

ANALYST INSIGHT: "We will spend today patiently waiting for the latest set of U.S. payrolls data, which may tell us how much longer we have to wait for the Fed to deliver a monetary policy tightening that most of the global economy is simply not ready for," Rabobank analyst Michael Every said in a commentary.

WALL STREET: Major U.S. indexes ended little changed after a day of aimless trading. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.1 percent to close at 16,272.01 while the Standard & Poor's 500 added 0.2 percent to 1,923.82. The Nasdaq composite inched up 0.2 percent to 4,627.08.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 59 cents to $45.33 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 35 cents to close at $44.74 a barrel in New York on Thursday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, added 41 cents to $47.79 in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 120.03 yen from 119.86 yen in the previous trading session. The euro rose to $1.1194 from $1.1189.

Trader Luke Scanlon rushes across the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. U.S. stocks started a new month lower a day after the market wrapped up its worst quarter in four years. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Specialist Anthony Matesic, left, and trader Peter Mancuso work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. U.S. stocks started a new month lower a day after the market wrapped up its worst quarter in four years. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Trader Tommy Kalikas, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. U.S. stocks started a new month lower a day after the market wrapped up its worst quarter in four years.(AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Patrick McKeon, center, works with fellow traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. U.S. stocks started a new month lower a day after the market wrapped up its worst quarter in four years. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Specialist John McNierney, left, holds a loaf of French bread as he works with traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, during the IPO of Performance Food Group, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

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